1st JUNE 2010

I WAS AMAZED TODAY TO BE CONTACTED BY ABC RADIO 720 PERTH, FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH THEIR "DRIVE" HOST, RUSSELL WOOLFE.
THEY INVESTIGATE THE CONTENTS OF COMPILATION ALBUMS FROM THE PAST, AS A WEEKLY SEGMENT.
Drive with Russell Woolf
3:00pm - 6:00pm

* More about Russell
* Contact Us

Vinyl of the Week

01/06/2010 , 4:19 PM by Kate Matthews

Record This week we're putting the needle to 20 Electrifying Hits Volume 2.

It features household names Rod Stewart, Daddy Cool, Colleen Hewett, Olivia Newton John and The Who.

But do you remember the Australian band Flake?

David Allen from Flake is with Russell on Drive today.

SOME PRE FLAKE PICS

 

 

ANOTHER FLAKE COMPILATION

VOL 1 CHARTSTOPPERS FROM 1971

MORE PICS FROM 1969

THESE PICS WERE TAKEN AT KYEEMAGH IN SYDNEY, IN JAN 1969, ROB ASKEW DISCOVERED THEM IN HIS MOTHER'S PHOTO ALBUM.

THE RECORDING PROJECT MOVES ON.

THIS WEEK WE PUT ON SOME VOCALS. OLLIE HAS A GREAT VOICE. I PUT ON A FLUTE SOLO, AND MAY ADD SOME ORGAN BACKING. IT DEPENDS WHAT THE OTHERS THINK. THIS IS AN INTERESTING PROJECT. SEVERAL MUSICIANS, ALL REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER, DOING A BIT AND PUTTING IT IN A PILE ON A SERVER, FOR ANY OF US TO MIX.
QUITE FRANKLY, IT COULD TURN OUT BADLY, BUT SO FAR, I THINK IT'S GOOD.

AND ANOTHER FLAKE COMPILATION

I JUST FOUND ON EBAY, FOR $75, A COMPILATION CD, CALLED "THE GTK TAPES" VOL2.
I KNEW IT EXISTED, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE.
IT'S AN ABC LABEL, RELEASED IN 1994. THE CATALOGUE NUMBER IS 4797412.
THE TRACK IS "MIDNIGHT TRAIN".

TAKE MY WORD

THIS SOUNDTRACK WAS FROM A LIVE PERFORMANCE ON THE "REX MOSSOP CLUB SHOW", SCREENED ON SATURDAY NIGHTS ON ATN7 SYDNEY, IN 1969-70. THE CLUB SHOW ENDEAVOURED TO BRING THE LOCAL RSL CLUB INTO YOUR LOUNGE ROOM ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, AND FEATURED LIVE CROSSES TO THE WENTWORTH PARK GREYHOUND RACES. ALL CLASS!! REX "MOOSE" MOSSOP WAS A FORMER INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER, AND CALLED RUGBY LEAGUE FOR CHANNEL 7 AT THE TIME. THE SHOW WILL NOT BE REMEMBERED AS A CULTURAL ICON, AND I THINK IT WAS GREAT TO BE ON SUCH A CRAP PIECE OF AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION. ANYONE COULD BE ON COUNTDOWN! THIS TRACK ALSO ENDED UP ON A FESTIVAL LP, "THE FLAKE FILES".

YOU'VE GOT ME THINKING

THE VIDEO IN THIS CLIP IS FROM THE 2007 REUNION. IT WASN'T SHOT BY ME, THANKS TO DEE FOR PASSING IT ON TO ME. "YOU'VE GOT ME THINKING" WAS ORIGINALLY RECORDED BY JACKIE LOMAX ON APPLE, AND WAS MEANT TO BE THE "A" SIDE TO "THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE".HOWEVER, THE DJ'S OF THE TIME SAW THE FOLLY IN THIS, AND PLAYED "WHEELS".IT WAS RECORDED IN 1970 AT WORLD OF SOUND STUDIOS.

ROB ASKEW, THE NEXT BEST THING

ROB PLAYED BASS IN THE LAST FLAKE LINEUP, HERE HE IS WITH HIS TRIO, "THE NEXT BEST THING". THEY DO THE SYDNEY CLUB CIRCUIT AND ARE TERRIFIC.
CHECK THEM OUT AT www.nextbestthing.com.au

MICHAEL MEEHAN with FLAKE AT SCONE HIGH SCHOOL

MICHAEL MEEHAN CONTACTED ME TODAY. HE WAS ANOTHER MUSICIAN WHO ENTERED THE FLAKE REVOLVING DOOR. HE IS STILL ENTERTAINING IN PERTH THESE DAYS. I THINK WE MUST HAVE EX MEMBERS IN EVERY STATE.
CHECK OUT MICHAEL'S WEBSITE AT www.michaelmeehan.com.au

THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE

"THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE" WAS FLAKE'S FIRST RECORDING, AND AMAZINGLY, WENT TO THE TOP OF THE LOCAL CHARTS. IT STAYED IN THE NATIONAL GO SET MAGAZINE CHARTS FOR OVER 6 MONTHS. IT WAS AWARDED AN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARD BY RADIO 2SM IN 1970.

GORDON SHEARD 1989 VERSION OF FLAKE

I JUST RECEIVED TODAY AN EMAIL FROM GORDON SHEARD, GUITARIST WITH THE LAST VERSION OF THE GROUP. 15 YEARS AGO, GORDON LEFT SYDNEY FOR THE DEEP NORTH. HE HAS BEEN BLAYING AT JOHNNO'S BLUES BAR 4 NIGHTS A WEEK FOR 15 YEARS, AND WITH A BIG BAND AT THE CASINO , 1 OR 2 NIGHTS, FOR LAST 8 YEARS. SADLY, JOHNNO'S JUST CLOSED DUE TO SOME LIQUOR LICENSING LAWS.


HERE IS A PIC OF GORDON (FRONT) PLAYING WITH PHIL EMMANUEL. AS MATT TAYLOR, SINGS, "STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN UP HERE IN THE NORTHERN SUN!"




HERE IS GORDON,(RIGHT), WITH THE BIG BAND, THE SWINGIN' ALLEY CATZ.

2007 REUNION

HOW'S YOUR MOTHER from FLAKE

IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN BUYING THIS NEW RE-RELEASE, I HAVE LISTED IT ON EBAY FOR $20 + 2.50 POSTAGE FOR AUSTRALIA, AND IF OVERSEAS, CONTACT ME FOR MAILING COSTS. YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL ME DIRECTLY TO BUYhttp://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130047350291&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:AU:11

HOW'S YOUR MOTHER...HERE AT LAST

IT'S BEEN A LONG WAIT, BUT TODAY I RECEIVED A COPY OF THE NEW RE-RELEASE, "HOW'S YOUR MOTHER", AND A VERY ATTRACTIVE PACKAGE IT IS. ALL THE ORIGINAL SONGS, PLUS 4 NEW TRACKS, A BOOKLET CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF THE BAND, SOME GREAT PHOTOS, IN THE ORIGINAL PSYCH ALBUM COVER. WELL DONE MARTIN ERDMAN. FOR THOSE OF YOU WANTING A COPY, I AM WAITING FOR RELEASE AND AVAILABILITY DETAILS..... STAY TUNED....

FLAKE MEMBERS

THIS IS A LIST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF MUSICIANS WHO PASSED THROUGH THE BAND.

DAVE ALLEN (FLUTE & SAX)
LINDSAY ASKEW (GUITAR)
ROB ASKEW (BASS)
TED ATKINSON (BASS)
DENISE CAINES (VOCALS)
MICK GAUL (BASS)
GEOFF GRAY (VOCALS)
ROSS JEFFREE (GUITAR)
SHAUNA JENSEN (VOCALS)
NEALE JOHNS (VOCALS)
GREG HIGGS (BASS)
MICK MEEHAM (BASS)
DENIS MOORE (BASS)
JIMMY PENSON (DRUMS)
JOHN RUSSELL (GUITAR)
SHARON SIMS (VOCALS)
GORDON SHEARD (GUITAR)
BILLY TAYLOR (GUITAR)
ANNA THOMAS (VOCALS)
WAYNE THOMAS (DRUMS)
ROB TOTH (ORGAN)
WARREN WARD (BASS)

SOME PICS OF FORMER FLAKE MEMBERS AS THEY ARE TODAY

DAVE ALLEN PLAYED FLUTE AND SAX ON FLAKE'S FIRST RECORDING







DENISE CAINES IS NOW DEE SHANNON, PICTURED HERE WITH HER SON, ASHTON.






LINDSAY ASKEW, THE BAND'S ORIGINAL GUITARIST

JOHN RUSSELL REPLACED LINDSAY AND STAYED WITH THE GROUP WAYNE THOMAS AND ROB ASKEW. WAYNE STARTED THE GROUP, ROB WAS ONE OF SEVERAL BASS PLAYERS

ALBUM COVERS

PHOTOS OF FLAKE

FLAKE WERE PRESENTED THE 1970 2SM AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARD FOR "THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE" DAVE & DENISE WERE ABSENT.


BELOW, THE ORIGINAL 1968 LINEUP.


ABOVE, THE 1969 LINEUP, WHICH RECORDED THE FIRST HIT, "THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE"


BELOW, DENISE & BILLY SHARON & DENISE