Trees birds, waterfalls and temples
People, bustle and smoke.
Food, beer and many examples
Of kindness with a joke.
Land of shrines and gargoyles
Where everything is spiritual.
Unreality in the life one toils
And all life is ritual.
Sixties obscure Beat Groups that I loved – the Others, Paramounts, Undertakers, Measles, Birds, Bo Street Runners.
Sixties obscure Beat Groups that I loved – the Others, Paramounts, Undertakers, Measles, Birds, Bo Street Runners.
Back in 1964 music was the currency. It was what we all talked about. There were no independent radio stations and only two TV stations so we all watched and listened to the same things. Radio Luxembourg was the only source of anything different and that phased in and out.
I used to listen to a lot of bands that did not quite make it into the charts. There were some crackin’ bands and superb tracks. They were hard to track down back then.
These were some of my favourites.
Birds – Leaving Here
The first bands that I saw live – Ron Wood (of the Faces and Stones) on guitar. They blew me away. This single captured a little bit of that excitement.
The Others – Oh Yeah
The Others released this great Bo Diddley cover that I thought was great.
Paramounts – Poison Ivy
The Paramounts did this great version of the Coaster classic Poison Ivy. It was a minor hit. They went on to become Procol Harum.
Measles – Casting my spell
I thought this should have been massive. Radio London plugged it like mad and I loved it. The track Casting My Spell was later recorded by the Pirates.
Undertakers – Just a little bit
They did an amazing version of the Rosco Gordon number Just a Little bit and would tour around in a hearse and wear Top Hats and tails.
Screaming Lord Sutch – I’m a hog for you baby
Screaming Lord Sutch was amazing. He had the longest hair of anyone! I remember him doing this on TV with a Top Hat on and lifting it up to let all his hair fall down. The band had loads of great people in it –
Bo Street Runners – I’m a Bo Street Runner
I saw them on Ready Steady Go and thought they were wild – a raw version of the Stones. Loved the harp. They were great featuring Mick Fleetwood and Mike Patto
If you fancy reading some of my books on Rock Music try these:
Photography – Australian birds – Part 5
Photography – Australia birds and animals Part 4
Photography – Australian birds and animals Part 3
Photography – More Australian birds
Photography – Peru – The Ballestas Islands – A treasure trove of wild life + Inca ruins
Here’s a few piccies.
Awe and wonder – the incredible beauty of birds.
It is amazing to see the wondrous things that evolution has produced. Birds in particular have come up with the most incredible array of colours, feathers and shapes – truly awesome.
We can only look in delight.
The sad thing is that so many of them are now becoming extinct due to the devastation of their natural habitat. Rainforest clearance is robbing the world of immense beauty.
Thank you to all the photographers who show us these wonders!
Photography – Cairns – Daintree and a few birds – including the psychedelic ostrich that is a cassawarie!
Cassawaries are getting very rare. They are too often the victims of cars and end up as large roadkill. We had given up hope of seeing one. It was getting dark – hence these shots are not as bright and sharp as they could have been. Then this family of gorgeous psychedelic birds walked right out into the road in front of us! Amazing.
This ibis were flocking to roost at the top of some trees in Cairns.
These swallows were getting a free ride on the ferry across to Daintree park.
Photography – Australia – Some of the incredible birds around Brisbane area.
