Almanac Music: Dylan Cover Songs – Aussie Style: In Memoriam

 

Over the past few years, the Aussie music industry has witnessed the passing of a number of high profile songwriters, singers & musicians – some household names and some held dear by a smaller circle. In looking over the names of the recently departed, it struck me that they all have a unique, but thinly veiled, common thread – they have all been drawn to recording at least one Dylan cover song.

 

This article – the 3^rd in the series of ‘Dylan Covers – Aussie Style’ – is therefore dedicated, in memoriam, to those Aussie recording artists who have passed in the past 10 years. It gives an opportunity to briefly revisit their contribution to the diverse landscape of Australian music and to throw in a Dylan cover song along the way.

 

The article will begin in 2013 and work its way to the present day.

 

 

Wendy Saddington

 

Wendy was born on 26 September 1949 in Melbourne.

 

Wendy’s career in the emerging world of late 60’s – mid 70’s Australian music can be seen as a series of ‘what if’s’. Between 1967-69, Wendy was lead singer for Melbourne-based band Revolution, followed by Adelaide-based band James Taylor Move, and finally Chain (who had relocated from Perth to Melbourne). Wendy left Chain in mid-1969, prior to any recorded output from the band.

 

As a solo artist, Wendy performed at Australia’s first rock music festival – the ‘Pilgrimage For Pop’ at Ourimbah (24 – 25 January 1970). For those interested, there is a YouTube clip titled ‘Once Around The Sun Trailer’ that has snippets of various performances from the festival including very young versions of Wendy, Billy Thorpe, Jeff St John, Chain, and Max Merritt. It was following this festival that Wendy teamed up with Jeff St John & Copperwine – a collaboration that lasted from March 1970 to February 1971.

 

In January 1971, Wendy and Copperwine (without Jeff St John) played at the Wallacia Festival in Central NSW – and it was from this concert that the Wendy Saddington & The Copperwine Live album, featuring Wendy’s cover of Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues was recorded and subsequently released.

 

‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’ – Wendy Saddington & The Copperwine Live (1971)

 

 

 

 

Wendy then resumed her solo singing career and in July 1971 released her debut (and only) solo single – ‘Looking Through A Window’ – peaking at no.22 on the Australian charts. A ‘GTK’ video of the song is available on YouTube. Despite engaging in various musical projects from the early 70’s right through to the early 2010’s, Wendy was never able to garner mainstream commercial success.

 

Wendy died on 21 June 2013 in Melbourne, aged 63.

 

 

Gary Shearston

 

Gary was born on 9 January 1939 in Inverell, NSW.

 

On his second studio album, 1964’s Songs Of Our Time Gary recorded three Dylan covers, including:

 

‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’ – Songs Of Our Time

 

 

 

Best known for his 1974 version of ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’, Gary’s life, times and interest in Dylan’s early 60’s anthology, were covered in my 1^st article on ‘Dylan Covers – Aussie Style’, which can be found Here.

 

Gary died on 1 July 2013 in Armidale, NSW, aged 74.

 

 

The Masters Apprentices (1968-72 & 1988)

 

Jim Keays

Born: 9 September 1946 – Glasgow, Scotland/Died: 13 January 2014 – Melbourne: – aged 67

 

Glen Wheatley

Born: 23 January 1948 – Nambour, Qld/Died: 1 February 2022 – Melbourne: – aged 74

 

Colin Burgess

Born: 16 November 1946 – Sydney/Died: 16 December 2023 – undisclosed: – aged 77

 

Although The Masters Apprentices had numerous line-up changes since its formation by Jim Keays in 1964, the ‘classic line-up’ of the band during its most profound performance and recording era (1968-72) was Jim Keays (vocals), Doug Ford (guitar), Glenn Wheatley (bass guitar) and Colin Burgess (percussion). Sadly, three of those band members (Keays, Wheatley & Burgess) have died in the past 10 years.

 

The band is best remembered for two iconic Aussie songs – ‘Turn Up Your Radio’ (1970) and ‘Because I Love You’ (1971). The band’s third studio album – 1971 Choice Cuts – peaked at no.10 on the Aussie album charts. After the release of the band’s fourth studio album – 1972’s A Toast To Panama Red’– the band split up. Keays and Ford then pursued separate solo and collaborative musical careers; Wheatley moved into talent management, with major ‘clients’ being The Little River Band and John Farnham.

 

Burgess’ post The Masters Apprentices career is, at least initially, much more interesting. In November 1973 he was recruited for the formation of AC/DC. He joined Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, his brother Angus on lead guitar, Dave Evans on lead vocals and Larry Van Kriedt on bass guitar. Within four months (February 1974) Burgess was fired from the band for being drunk on stage. He later said that someone had spiked his drink. One year later, with Bon Scott on lead vocals, AC/DC released their first studio album – High Voltage’- and so began a unique chapter in the Aussie rock’n’roll history book.

 

In August 1987, Keays, Ford, Wheatley and Burgess reformed the band and during 1988 embarked on a ‘Reunion Tour’ of live concerts. It is from this tour that the 1988 Do What You Wanna Do live album was recorded and released.

 

Highway 61 Revisited (live) – Masters Apprentices: ‘Do What You Wanna Do’ (1988)

 

 

 

 

The icing on the cake for The Masters Apprentices was their induction into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 1998.

 

[Author comment: Before joining The Masters Apprentices, Doug Ford was a member of Sydney-based band The Missing Link – who were covered in my second article on ‘Dylan Covers – Aussie Style’, which can be found Here.]

 

 

Shirley Jacobs

 

Shirley was born on 21 August 1927 in Euroa.

 

I only came across Shirley’s name a few months ago as she was listed on a particular site as someone who was ‘Australian’ and had covered ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’. Further research revealed that she recorded 7 studio albums between 1967-76, mostly along Australian/Irish folksong traditions, but also children albums and an album of songs based on Henry Lawson poems.

 

I was surprised to discover that it wasn’t until she was 40 that her 1967 debut album Endless Highway was recorded/released and that it contained her cover version of ‘Blowin’ In the Wind’ – sung in German with a repeat of the second verse (sung in English) to close off the song.

 

 

Die Antwort Weiss Ganz Allein Der Wind (Blowin’ In The Wind) – Endless Highways (1967)

 

 

 

 

 

This debut album also included cover versions of Dylan’s ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’ and ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ – sung entirely in English.

 

Further research on Shirley Jacobs seemed to lead nowhere until, only recently, I found a January 2016 obituary style article in the Sydney Morning Herald. I include selected extracts to give a flavour to the extraordinary life and times of Shirley Jacobs and to answer the question: Why did Shirley’s recording career come to an abrupt end in the mid 70’s?

 

Shirley Jacobs’ records and TV appearances made her one of Australia’s best-known guitar-strumming folksingers during the 1970s.

 

Shirley collaborated with another local musician, Ade Monsbourgh, to put a selection of Henry Lawson’s poems to music. Her haunting rendition of On the Night Train can still be heard on YouTube.

 

Her passionate beliefs saw her singing on stage during the huge anti-Vietnam-war protests led by Jim Cairns in the early 1970s. On the eve of the 1972 election, Jacobs appeared as warm-up at a gathering of Labor supporters at St Kilda Town Hall. The crowd went wild as she strummed a final chord and Gough Whitlam strode onto the stage to give his “Men and Women of Australia” speech. 

 

 She performed weekly satirical songs for the ABC’s This Day Tonight with often only hours to turn the subject matter into original verse.

 

Jacobs’ decision to present a weekly radio show inside Pentridge Prison in the mid-1970s marked a major turning point in her life. She met and fell in love with a prisoner, Joey Hamilton, who was found by the Beach Inquiry to have been convicted on false charges. Hamilton’s conviction was quashed and they were married as soon as he was released in 1978, but within weeks a bomb exploded on the doorstep of their home in Station Street, Carlton.

 

In 1981, Joey and Shirley Hamilton were both falsely charged with trafficking in marijuana. At this stage, having little faith in the justice system, they decided to go on the run. They were arrested after more than two months hiding in Victoria’s high country, and the folksinger – by now a grandmother – was locked up in Fairlea Women’s Prison. The Hamiltons decided to defend themselves in court and were found innocent, after proving that corrupt police had again manufactured false charges.

 

The couple’s love never wavered in later years. They eventually moved to Reservoir where they lived for 20 years until Shirley’s health started to fail. She was moved to a nursing home in Thornbury in 2006, and Joey sat by her bedside daily until her death.

 

Shirley died on 24 November 2015 in Thornbury aged 88.

 

 

Chris Wilson

 

Chris was born on 2 December 1956 in Alphington, Vic.

 

Chris was a highly regarded Australian blues musician who sang and played harmonica, saxophone, and guitar. He performed as part of Harem Scarem (1985-87) and contributed to Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls studio albums Gossip (1986) and Under The Sun (1987), as well as joining them on their 45-date tour of North America.

 

Between 1987-91, Chris formed and fronted Crown of Thorns – releasing two studio albums.

 

From 1992 onwards, Chris concentrated on solo albums, including Landlocked (1992), Live At The Continental (1994), The Long Weekend (1998), Spiderman (2000), King For A Day (2002), Flying Fish (2012) and the self-titled Chris Wilson (2018).

 

It was on his live performance at The Continental (i.e. Continental Café, Prahran on 20 May 1994) that Chris turned his ‘recording’ attention for the first time to Dylan with an exceptional cover of:

 

 

‘It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry’ – Live At The Continental (1994)

 

 

 

 

Chris also paid tribute to Dylan on his 2012 Flying Fish album with a cover of ‘She Belongs To Me’.

 

In between his solo efforts, Chris joined forces with Diesel to record and release Short Cool Ones in 1996 – an album that peaked at no.18 on the Aussie album charts – and proved to be the best rating album of Chris’s career.

 

Chris died on 16 January 2019 in Melbourne, aged 62.

 

In 2020, Chris was posthumously inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.

 

 

Judith Durham

 

Judith was born on 3 July 1943 in Essendon.

 

Judith came to prominence in 1963 when she joined The Seekers as lead singer. Between 1963-67, The Seekers released six studio albums – they were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. The Seekers released 5 singles that had international chart-topping success – ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’; ‘A World Of Our Own’; ‘Morningtown Ride’; ‘The Carnival Is Over; and ‘Georgy Girl’.

 

On their third studio album, Hide & Seekers (1964), The Seekers included a cover of Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’. This is not surprising since up to that time, 35 other like-minded artists (e.g. Peter, Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio, The New World Singers, The Staples Singers) had recorded a cover of the song.

 

The 1965 World Of Our Own album contained two Dylan covers – ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ and ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’

 

 

‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ – The Seekers: A World Of Our Own (1965)

 

 

 

 

In January 1968, The Seekers were named joint ‘Australians Of The Year’, and shortly after Judith announced that she would be leaving the group to pursue a solo career.

 

Between 1968-2013, Judith released eleven solo studio albums – with only one (‘Let Me Find Love’, 1994) leaving a mark on the Aussie album charts.

 

Judith died on 5 August 2022 in Prahan, aged 69.

 

 

Olivia Newton-John

 

Olivia was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge, England.

 

Olivia’s family moved to Melbourne in early 1954. Her father had taken up the post of Professor of German and Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne.

 

In 1965, Olivia won a talent contest on Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ TV program and a year later, at the tender age of 18, used her prize – a trip to Great Britain – to travel to London, where she stayed to pursue her recording career. Between 1966 and 1970, Olivia recorded several singles and provided back-up singing on several projects but with little success.

 

In 1970, Olivia was signed to Festival Records and her first recording with the label was Dylan’s ‘If Not For You’ – although her version more closely resembles the George Harrison ‘interpretation’ of the song. The single, recorded in Abbey Road Studios, was released internationally in February 1971 and provided Olivia with considerable international success, peaking at no.1 in South Africa, no.7 in UK, no.8 in New Zealand, no.11 in Canada, no.14 in Australia, & no.25 in US (although it peaked at no.1 on the US ‘Easy Listening’ chart).

 

 

‘If Not For You’ – If Not For You (1971)

 

 

 

 

Based on the success of the single, an album of mostly contemporary covers was recorded during 1971 and released on an album titled, not surprisingly, If Not For You in November 1971. This is the first and only time that Olivia has ventured into Dylan territory.

 

Olivia’s career following the success of ‘If Not For You’ is extraordinary. She released seven albums between 1972-76 – all recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Olivia also represented the UK at Eurovision 1974, with the song ‘Long Live Love’ – she came a respectable 4^th.

 

Olivia moved to the USA in 1976 and remained there for the rest of her life. Between 1976 – 2016, Olivia released a further nineteen studio albums and six soundtrack albums – with Totally Hot, Physical, Grease and  Xanadu being the best charting.

 

Olivia was awarded an OBE in 1979; a star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame in 1981; was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 2002; awarded an AO in 2006; named a National Living Treasure of Australia in 2012; and awarded a Companion of The Order of Australia (AC) and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2019. And just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn with the recording/release of Dylan’s ‘If Not For You’ – a song Olivia recorded despite her reservation that it was not “her type of song”.

 

Olivia died on 8 August 2022 in California, USA, aged 73.

 

 

Renee Geyer

 

Renee was born on 11 September 1953 in Melbourne.

 

By the age of 2, Renee’s family had moved to Sydney and by the age of 18 Renee had left the family home, left school and had joined jazz-rock band Sun – who released their sole studio album Sun 1972 in 1972.

 

By the age of 20, Renee had left Sun and had her own recording contract with RCA and released her first solo studio album, titled Renee Geyer in 1973. It is on this album of mostly R&B/soul cover songs that Renee recorded her first & only Dylan cover song:

 

 

‘Just Like A Woman’ – Renee Geyer (1973)

 

 

 

 

Renee’s solo career continued with the release of a further 14 studio albums between 1974 – 2013, including the highly acclaimed albums: It’s A Man’s Man’s World (1974); Ready To Deal (1975); Moving Along (1977): and Tenderland (2003).

 

Renee was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005.

 

Renee died on 17 January 2023 at Geelong Hospital from complications during hip surgery, aged 69.

 

[Auth comment: Renee is seen ‘live’ in the video footage included under Broderick Smith].

 

 

Broderick Smith

 

Broderick was born on 17 February 1948 in Hertfordshire, England.

 

Broderick’s family migrated to Australia in 1959 and they settled in Melbourne.

 

During 1966-68, Broderick was a member of Adderley Smith Blues Band, contributing vocals & harmonica. Although the band never released a studio album, there are several songs from that time on YouTube. Broderick was conscripted for National Service in 1968 and stationed at Holsworthy Barracks in NSW.

 

On release from the army, Broderick joined blues-boogie band Carson– providing vocals & harmonica. Carson performed at the first Sunbury Festival (1972) and returned in 1973. The band disbanded shortly after but not before releasing one studio album, Blown in 1972 and a live recording from Sunbury 1973, titled On The Air.

 

In April 1973, Broderick joined forces with Kerryn Tolhurst (ex-Adderley Smith Blues Band, Country Radio), Chris Stockley (ex-Axiom) and John Lee (ex-Blackfeather) to form The Dingoes. The band is most noted for its self-titled 1974 album The Dingoes, which peaked at no.18 on the Aussie album charts and featured the band’s signature song ‘Way Out West’. The Dingoes also performed at the 1974 & 1975 Sunbury Festivals – giving Broderick the distinction of having performed at all four festivals. The Dingoes subsequently released a further two studio albums, before splitting up in early 1979.

 

Between 1979 – 2018, Broderick fronted several bands brandishing his name as well as recording solo studio albums, the last of which was 2018’s Man Out Of Time. None of these albums featured on the Aussie album charts.

 

Broderick’s link to the Dylan anthology comes from a 1999 self-released album titled Broderick Smith’s Leftovers – the album covers reads as follows: ‘never mind the sound quality, witness the feel. 15 songs from the desk and demos played live be earnest men’. Track 2 is ‘Dylan’s ‘Buckets Of Rain’ performed live at The Basement, circa 1997. Unfortunately, there are no YouTube clips of this performance or song.

 

What I have found instead, is a performance of Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ from the 1980 Andy Durrant Memorial Concert featuring Broderick, along with Ian Moss, Jimmy Barnes, Renee Geyer & others.

 

 

‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ – Andy Durrant Memorial Concert (1980)

 

 

 

 

Broderick died on 30 April 2023 in Castlemaine, aged 75.

 

 

Louis Tillett

 

Louis was born on 13 March 1959 in Sydney.

 

Louis formed Wet Taxis in 1977 and over time the band attracted a loyal following on the indie scene. The band released two albums but failed to achieve commercial success or widespread recognition and, in mid-1987, the band disbanded.

 

Louis then pursued a solo career, releasing Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell in late 1987. He released a further ten albums (two in collaboration with Charlie Owens) between 1990 – 2018.

 

It was on his eighth album, 2001’s Learning To Die, that Louis turned, for the first and only time, to recording a Dylan cover – ‘The Ballad Of Hollis Brown’ – enjoy…..

 

 

‘Ballad Of Hollis Brown’ – Learning To Die (2001)

 

 

 

 

With album titles like: The Ugly Truth; Cry Against The Faith; Learning To Die; The Hanged Man; To Ride A Dead Pony and album covers that could generate ‘nightmares’, it is not surprising that Louis’s musical output was always bound to skirt the fringes of the Australian music landscape and commercial airwaves. This is a great shame, as his lyrics, music & vocals deserve much greater recognition.

 

Louis died on 6 August 2023 in Sydney, aged 64.

 

 

Ron S. Peno

 

Ron was born on 26 July 1955 in Boggabri, NSW.

 

Ron fronted a few bands: The Hellcats (1976-77); The 31^st’(1979-81); The Screaming Tribesman’(1981); and The End (1982-83) before he finally found his rightful home with Final Solution, which after 5 gigs in Brisbane, changed their name to Died Pretty and relocated to Sydney.

 

Ron was lead vocalist and shared songwriting duties with fellow band member and guitarist Brett Meyers. The band released their first studio album Free Dirt in August 1986 – which coincidentally had Louis Tillett contributing piano.

 

The band’s second album Lost was released in June 1988. It was during recording sessions for the album that the band covered Dylan’s ‘From A Buick 6’, which was released on the b-side of ‘The Towers Of Strength’ single, but not included on the album.

 

 

‘From A Buick 6’ – Died Pretty: ‘Towers Of Strength’ single (1988)

 

 

 

 

Died Pretty released a further six albums between 1990 – 2000, with the most commercially successful being 1993’s Trace, which peaked at no.11 on the Aussie album charts. Died Pretty disbanded in 2002, but got back together from 2016 to undertake a wide range of concert performances (e.g. Homebake, Big Day Out, Dig It Up!, A Day On The Green) and national tours.

 

During the Died Pretty hiatus and with Ron relocating to Melbourne, he formed the country music duo Darling Downs with Kim Salmon (2004 – 06) – releasing two studio albums – and his own band Ron S Peno & The Superstitions (2001-21) – releasing four studio albums.

 

Ron died on 11 August 2023 at his home in South Yarra, aged 68.

 

 

In conclusion:

 

The more I research into Dylan covers and put together articles like this one, the more I realise that it is less and less about Dylan – but rather, the amazing talent of Aussie artists who, in many cases, have faced an enormous struggle to even be heard. Hopefully, this article reminds us of the talent we have lost in the past 10 years – a talent that lives on in the legacy of their recorded work.

 

 

More from Karl Dubravs can be read Here.

 

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