Almanac Music: Gary Shearston – Australian Folk Legend

Gary Shearston – Image: Wikipedia

 

Gary Shearston

 

I remember the first time I heard his name. It was 1964 in our Form 3 Music class at the now closed Colac High School. The music teacher was a recent teaching graduate, Miss Mathieson. Elizabeth. Although, some lads needing to display their pubescent boldness to a young teacher, often chose to address her as Liz. At one of the classes Miss Mathieson introduced the not always compliant or interested students to the name and music of Gary Shearston. The purposeful manner which she did, revealed her knowledge of his music at a time when the radio airwaves were not overwhelmed by Australian folk singers, more the sounds of those bumptious English bands, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

 

For many years Gary Shearston and his music remained hidden in the cob-webbed recesses of my forgetful mind. Miss Mathieson even longer. Not so long ago, on another internet forum where the discussion topic is far removed from football, music and poetry, his name was referred to along with one of his songs, ‘Sydney Town’. Possibly with a hint of a smile, those dormant recesses stirred.

 

Gary Shearston was born in Inverell, New South Wales in 1939. His father was a serviceman and while he was away Gary and his mother moved to Tenterfield and lived with his grand-parents. When Gary was eleven and following a lengthy drought which impacted their soldier settler farm, the family moved to Sydney. Gary left school at sixteen, started playing guitar and shortly after found work at United Press and trained to become a journalist.

 

However, journalism wasn’t for Gary and he joined a travelling puppet show for a year. He returned to Sydney and started working in that new phenomenon, television. He also joined the Hayes Gordon Ensemble Theatre. In the early 1960’s Gary was performing Irish, American and Australian folk songs at Sydney folk and coffee clubs.

 

In 1963 Gary released a single and an EP with only meagre interest, possibly partly due to the frenetic popularity of those English fellows. His first album, Folk Songs and Ballads of Australia was released in 1964. Two songs ‘Reedy River’ and ‘The Bush Girl’, are Henry Lawson poems set to music. A second album in 1964, Songs of our Time, included versions of the ubiquitous American, Bob Dylan’s, ‘Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright’, ‘Who Killed Davey Moore?’ and ‘A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall’.

 

 

 

Mentoring from Dr. Edgar Waters, an academic and social historian, and a change of record company led to the release of ‘Sydney Town’ from the album, Australian Broadside (1965). The co-writer of the lyrics was novelist Frank Hardy (Power Without Glory). Hardy had shown Gary his own words to a calypso song about Kingston Town, the Jamaican city. Shearston later changed some words, included a reference to Oz magazine and a verse about going to Kings Cross for sex, which was penned by a member of the audience at a concert. I find ‘Sydney Town’ a rollicking number. A perspective of an era, although some things haven’t changed.

 

The beer’s gone up in the public bar

And I can’t afford a motor car

But I keep six bottles in the fridge,

And pay no toll on the harbour bridge.

 

The more they try to keep me down

The better I live in Sydney town

 

The monopolies can all arrange

To rig their shares on the Stock Exchange

Through lottery tickets with my spouse

I’ve got shares in the Opera House.

 

The more they try to keep me down

The better I live in Sydney town

 

 

Gary researched the traditional bush ballad singers and shearers’ songs signifying a return to his Australian folk music themes. Over the next 12 months three more albums were released, The Springtime It Brings on The Shearing, Bolters, Bushrangers and Duffers, and Gary Shearston Sings His Songs. Tracks from these albums included, ‘Flash Jack from Gundagai’, ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ and ‘Stringybark Creek’. In May 1965, ‘Sometime Lovin’ was released. American folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary who toured Australia that year and heard him perform this song invited Gary to America. Later they recorded their version. Intending to move to New York his plans were disrupted when US Immigration refused his application for a work permit due to his anti-Vietnam war activities and support for Aboriginal rights. Instead, Gary went to London. The co-founder of Oz magazine and pop-artist, Martin Sharp (Cream’s 1967 Disraeli Gears album cover) was a cobber and they worked together at London’s Living Theatre.

 

 

 

 

In 1968 he made it to New York. The visa restrictions prevented him from public performances. He recorded an album which was not released. Returning to England in 1972 Gary performed in clubs and concerts throughout the UK and Europe. In 1974 the album ‘Dingo’ was released which included his impassive rendition of Cole Porter’s, ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’, accompanied by a cracking violin solo. Ironically, his least Australian themed recording reached the Top 10 in the UK music charts. He also recorded a jaunty version of Procol Harum’s, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’.

 

 

 

 

Gary spent some years pursuing other vocations. He returned to Australia working as a music journalist and assisting with film scripts. He co-wrote a novel, Balkenna, with Michael Thomas which was published in 1989. The story of a man’s return to Queensland from war. Scarred, yet determined he sets about rebuilding his life. Whether it is a family biography or not I do not know.

 

An album of new songs Aussie Blue (1989) was released with the song, ‘Shopping 0n A Saturday’, winning a songwriter’s award. The wonderfully promiscuous, ‘Irish Girls (will steal your heart away)’, I don’t tire of. Oh dear, is there some meaningful connection here? Gary seemed aware of the social and emotional elements of song. His lyrics are literate, edifying, often witty and mischievous. The subject material diverse.

 

I said I would give her anything

 If she promised she wouldn’t stray

Irish girls will steal your heart away

 

She makes me want to roll her in the hay

And finally conceded

 Irish girls will steal your heart away

 

She said her name was Eithne

Then she rode away and left me

Irish girls will steal your heart away

 

In 1992 Gary was ordained an Anglican priest and served in the country towns of Narrandera, Deniliquin and Bangalow. He retired in 2007 and moved to Tenterfield where he acquired the house he lived in as a child and continued his prolific writing. In 2011, another album Renegade was released, his son Luke playing drums. The song ‘Paint Me a Painting, Painter’ was perhaps a eulogy to his friend, Martin Sharp. In acknowledgement of his sage, ‘His Name was Edgar Waters’ is thoughtfully included. Once again, he revealed his creativity with, ‘She’s A Classic’ and sending up his Cole Porter hit, singing ‘She’s a Goer’. Gary, as Barry Humphries did, celebrated Australian irreverence.

 

Gary Shearston passed away at Armidale (NSW) on the 1^st July, 2013 aged 74 years. He recorded 16 albums. I have some listening to do, and a book to read.

 

Of faults I have many, a few virtues, too.

My virtues I practice, faults try to undo.

I stumble and mumble and tumble along,

Just making my way on the wings of a song.

 

Wherever you may be Miss Mathieson, I am both thankful and curious to know how, sixty years ago, you found Gary Shearston’s music.

 

Diogenes, or Dodgy-knees, the inimitable boffin from another forum, (his explanation of matters neuromorphic is beyond this Luddite’s comprehension), who aroused my memory from its slumber, it seems I’m up for another bottle of 389. Cheers.

 

 

‘I Get a Kick Out of You’ – Gary Shearston

 

‘Sydney Town’ – Gary Shearston

 

‘Irish Girls (Will Steal Your Heart Away)’ – Gary Shearston

 

Here is a playlist of songs recorded by Gary Shearston

 

 

 

More from Wayne Matthews can be read Here.

 

 

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