Models - Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf (1980)

The Melbourne punk/new wave scene saw two bands emerge to the forefront. The Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party had an ever-evolving sound and worked to tear down the traditional parameters of rock music. Models, on the other hand, was a synth-heavy group that veered more towards the popular sound. Early on in their careers, the two groups shared producers, personnel, and even split a 7".

There are two bands that helped in the formation of Models in 1978. Sean Kelly (lead vocals, guitar) and Peter Sutcliffe (bass) came from Teenage Radio Stars while Ash Wednesday (keyboards), Janis Friedenfelds (drums), and Sutcliffe came from a group called JAB. Both bands released only a couple of songs each before breaking. This particular lineup did not last long as Sutcliffe was replaced with Mark Ferrie and Wednesday was replaced with Andrew Duffield. Still, getting the band off the ground was no picnic as it took a breakup and some label encouragement to get a single out, "Owe You Nothing" in 1980.

The group funded the production of their first full length album Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf in order to ensure creative control. They eventually signed with Mushroom Records and released it at the end of 1980. Despite not releasing any respective singles, the album reached no. 43 on the Australian charts. During this time, Models became a greater success in the pub circuit and improved their clout by supporting visiting bands like Ramones, XTC, and The B-52s.

Here is the discography surrounding Models's debut album:

Early Morning Brain (1979 gig freebie)
Owe You Nothing (1980 single)
Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf
Two People Per Sq. Km. (1980 radio promotional EP)
Live in Shepparton (1980 live bootleg)

(The Shepparton bootleg is important to note because it is a remarkable soundboard recording of the band's early live set that includes a handful of songs that never saw the light of an official release.)





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The Boys Next Door - Door, Door (1979)

Australia's Crow received high praise from Juice magazine as it was deemed "Australia's greatest band". The last band to hold that honor, according to that particular Australian music journal, was a post-punk outfit by the moniker The Birthday Party. The Birthday Party, however, was not always a post-punk outfit and it was not always called The Birthday Party. This once greatest Australian band began at Caulfield Grammar School with a group of boys that called themselves The Boys Next Door.

Nick Cave on vocals, Mick Harvey on guitar, and Phill Calvert on drums were the core of the band from its inception in 1973. Other students John Covivera (guitar), Brett Purcell (bass), and Chris Coyne (saxophone) were also one-time members, but only Chris Coyne had any input (as a non-member) on any Boys Next Door recordings. While still in school, the core's influences came from glam and art rockers like David Bowie and Roxy Music. As they graduated in 1976, the Australian punk movement exploded and the affects could be felt in the band's changing live sets. New Wave material also found its way into their act. Guitarist Rowland S. Howard joined the band in 1978 and became a catalyst in its sonic experimentation.

During the last years of their existence, The Boys Next Door toured Australia prolifically (bootlegs of their performances are common) and garnered both critical and moderate commercial success. In 1978, the group saw the release of their first two singles: a cover version of "These Boots Are Made for Walking" and "Shivers". They followed this up in 1979 with the release of their debut album Door, Door, a selection of slightly poppy, punkish songs from their concerts. The EP Hee Haw marked the last official release of the group as The Boys Next Door and is representative of the constantly shifting direction they would take as The Birthday Party.

Here is the discography surrounding The Boys Next Door's debut album:

These Boots Are Made for Walking (1978 single)
Shivers (1978 single)
Door, Door
Hee Haw (1979 EP)
Scatterbrain (1979 gig freebie)





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Crow - My Kind of Pain (1993)

No, I'm not doing the same band twice in a row. It turns out there are about eight bands (that I could find) that go or went by the name of "Crow" such as a prog-rock group from the UK, punk rock and visual kei bands from Japan, and a hardcore band from South Korea. Not to mention bands and artists like DJ Crow, Sheryl Crow, Bart Crow Band, The Crows, Counting Crows, The Black Crowes, and Russel Crowe's various bands. The band that caught my eye, however, was an Australian band called Crow.

Friends Peter Fenton and Peter Archer formed the band in 1986 in Canberra, Australia. The two would share guitar, vocal, and songwriting roles. They were joined by Jim Woff on bass and brother John Fenton on drums. The band moved to Sydney and gradually became renowned on the underground circuit for their explosive and confrontational performances.

Crow's first experience with a record label was in 1990 with EP and single releases under Phantom Records, but they were not able to capture the energy of their live set and found no commercial success. The band nearly broke up before Half A Cow Records were able to convince them into a new deal that resulted in their 1993 debut album My Kind of Pain. The album was successful on an underground level and considered one of Australia's greatest rock records of the nineties.

Here is the discography surrounding Crow's debut album:

Sunburnt Throats and Happy Thunderclouds (1990 EP)
Ravine (1992 single)
Crow (1992 EP)
Vermonstress (1992 live recording)
Railhead (1993 single)
My Kind of Pain
The Helicon Days (1994 EP)





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Crow - Crow Music (1969)

Black Sabbath's debut album was most notable for its original songs but did feature two well-executed covers. An extended version of The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation's "Warning" ends the album, and "Evil Woman", a 1969 hit by Minnesota band Crow, was the album's only UK single.

Many musicians of the mid-1960s Minneapolis music scene went in and out of band line-ups trying out different sounds and looking for that next top 20 hit that would propel the scene to a national audience. At the behest of local manager David Anthony, South 40 formed in 1967 as an amalgam of members from local favorites The Rave-Ons and The Jokers Wild. The group got their biggest break after winning an audience with Columbia Records in a "contest for rock bands" in Des Moines.

The band changed their name to Crow (after all, who doesn't love bands named for birds), but Columbia didn't pick up their option because they were "a little bit too funky for them" according to bassist Larry Wiegand. The band also featured David Wagner on vocals, Dave "Kink" Middlemist on organ, and Larry Wiegand on guitar. Harry Nehls originally contributed his skills on the drums, but he left to join another Minneapolis group T.C. Atlantic. The band replaced him briefly with Mike Malasgar and finally filled the vacancy with Denny Craswell previously of Minneapolis one-hit wonder (one of the many) The Castaways.

Their growing stock was noticed by Dunwich Productions A&R man Bob Monaco who began shopping the band around to potential record labels. Although they had a potential audience with Atlantic Records, Crow was signed with the much smaller Amaret records though they eventually proved unable to "cover" them. On top of that, Amaret overlayed a horn section to some of Crow's tracks in post-production against their will. Still, the group decided to play along just to get their first album on the shelves. The band's first single "Time to Make a Turn" was unsuccessful on the charts. Finally listening to the band's input, Amaret put out "Evil Woman" as the album's second single which went on to hit the top 20 of the Billboard 200 in 1969. Later that year, Crow would change its base of operations to Chicago, play every possible gig, and eventually tour on a national stage.

Their debut album Crow Music sold well in due part to the success of "Evil Woman". Although the band complained about the alteration to their music, the horn section can only be heard on their two singles and b-side "Gonna Leave a Mark". The rest of the album ranges in style from heavy blues to R&B, but the sonic foundation comes from Crow's garage rock, Minneapolis roots.

Here is the discography surrounding Crow's debut album:

Baby Don't Love Me (1965 single as The Rave-Ons)
I Want You to Love Me (1965 single as The Rave-Ons)
Love Pill (1966 single as The Rave-Ons)
All I See Is You (1967 single by Jokers Wild)
Good Lovin' (1967 single as South 40)
Because I'm Free (1968 single by Jokers Wild)
I Want Sunshine (1968 single as South 40)
Live at Someplace Else! (1968 live album as South 40)
Peace Man (1969 single by Jokers Wild)
Crow
Time to Make a Turn (1969 single)
Evil Woman (1969 single)
Liquid Giraffe (2013 compilation album by Jokers Wild)



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Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)

The departure of Mick Abrahams left a glaring absence in the guitar slot of Jethro Tull's lineup. It was promptly (though briefly) filled by a young guitarist Tony Iommi. He was a member of the band long enough to be featured in "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" (see Jethro Tull video clip) but left soon after due to leadership disagreements with Ian Anderson. Iommi then rejoined his old band Earth, which would rechristen itself as Black Sabbath.

Black Sabbath emerged from remnants of two fractured Aston bands. Tony Iommi (guitar) and Bill Ward (drums) came from the band Mythology while "Ozzy" Osbourne (vocals, harmonica) and Geezer Butler (bass) survived the band Rare Breed. The four merged in 1968 to form The Polka Tulk Blues Band, which would become Earth and finally Black Sabbath. They toured the West Midlands originally envisioning themselves as a heavy blues band, but as the band progressed in skill and style they began moving into uncharted territory. In particular, the ominous sound produced by the musical tritone and dark lyrics evident in their song "Black Sabbath" became the foundation for the sonic territory the band wanted to go in (which was counter to the prominent flower-pop of the time).

Signing to Phillips Records in late 1969, Black Sabbath released their first single in January the next year. "Evil Woman", a Crow cover, failed to chart. Sabbath was subsequently allotted two days in the studio with producer Rodger Bain to record their debut. Doing what they could with the limited time and budget, the band played the album live with minimal overdubbing and few second runs. The album Black Sabbath was released very quickly on Friday the 13th of February 1970 to surprising commercial success (23 on the Billboard 200).

Critics were not as favorable at the time, saying the band was a poor imitation of Cream and the "the worst of the counterculture on a platter" (Robert Christgau). Although this early Black Sabbath does not stack up in skill to Cream, reviewers failed to see the eponymous album as nothing but an imitation instead of as the divergence to a new style of rock and roll. Since then, the critical reaction to Black Sabbath's debut has improved dramatically, ranking with the best and most important recordings of all time. Despite the lingering heavy blues influences, the album's muddy sound, dark lyrics, and fascination with the occult mark its historical importance as the de facto origins of heavy metal.

Here is the discography surrounding Black Sabbath's debut album:

1969 Demo
Evil Woman (1970 single)
Black Sabbath





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Jethro Tull - This Was (1968)

Pink Floyd gave the highlight performance for the first ever concert held at Hyde Park in London. The 1968 ticket also boasted three other young, talented bands of the time: Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, and Jethro Tull.

Jethro Tull officially formed in 1967, but Ian Anderson, the band's visionary, was active in Blackpudlian rhythm and blues bands since 1962 such as The Blades and The John Evan Band. These bands covered Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett in their live sets, which they infused with a rough, edgy Rock. They also featured several artists that would later become members of Tull, but they remained in Blackpool when Anderson moved to London in search of more gigs.

Ian Anderson joined forces with Mick Abrahams to form Jethro Tull. Anderson played the flute (which he had recently picked up, forsaking his guitar), harmonica, and the piano. Abrahams added his skills on the guitar. The two shared the vocals. Clive Bunker on drums and Glenn Cornick on bass rounded out the group. From the influence brought on board by Mick Abrahams, Jethro Tull's style reflected a unique mix between blues-rock and jazz.

It took a while for the band to gain momentum, but they were eventually signed by the Ellis-Wright Agency. They released their first single "Sunshine Day" in February 1968. Their debut album This Was was released later that year on Island Records and was a strong showing of their style at the time. Although it was a relatively successful debut, Anderson and Abrahams would eventually clash on artistic differences. Abrahams felt the band was falling away from its blues-rock/jazz roots while Anderson wanted to push the band into the burgeoning progressive scene. "Love Story" would be the last single featuring Abrahams in the line-up.

Here is the discography surrounding Jethro Tull's debut album:

Live '66 (live 1966 recording as The John Evan Band)
Sunshine Day (1968 single)
A Song for Jeffrey (1968 single)
This Was
Love Story (1968 single)



If you have any suggestions for where the Musical History Tour should go next, give a shout. I'm open to anything as long as it follows an artist's chronological release history.

Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

While Simon Dupree & the Big Sound were exploring Abbey Road Studios and recording their debut album by the cover of night, three other bands were busy recording important moments in rock history at the same time. The Beatles recorded Sgt. Pepper's, The Pretty Things recorded S.F. Sorrow, and Pink Floyd recorded their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Pink Floyd began in 1963 with the friendship of Roger Waters and Nick Mason. They would head a constantly changing lineup of various band names until 1965 when The Pink Floyd Sound was solidified with Richard Wright on keyboards, Bob Klose on guitar, and Syd Barrett on vocals and as lead vocalist. Waters also sang and played bass (among other instruments) and Mason was on percussion. Bob Klose and "The...Sound" soon dropped. Pink Floyd stepped beyond their R&B roots and entrenched itself in the burgeoning underground psychedelic scene under the guidance of their managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King. Syd Barrett's performances as the frontman and lead guitarist imbued the group with a frenetic energy and extended the range of their musical experimentation.

As one of the leading bands of the underground music scene at the time, Pink Floyd soon perked the ears of the music industry and signed with EMI. Their first single "Arnold Layne", released early in 1967, reached number 20 on the UK Charts despite being banned by various radio stations for its references to cross-dressing. Their second single of that same year "See Emily Play" reached number six on the charts. Both songs were written by Syd Barrett whose life was now being affected by his regular use of LSD and bouts of depression. His influence was still enough to propel the band through their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, considered one of the cornerstone recordings of the psychedelic sound. Although the album was able to capture the surreal elements of Pink Floyd's music, most fans at the time felt the recording didn't capture the band's energetic live performances.

Pink Floyd went on to record one more Syd Barrett penned single "Apples and Oranges" before realizing that they could no longer rely on him as they used to. Enter new member, guitarist David Gilmour (an old friend of Barrett's), who would make his first appearance on the 1968 single "It Would Be So Nice".

Here is the discography surrounding Pink Floyd's debut album:

Arnold Layne (1967 single)
See Emily Play (1967 single)
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Apples and Oranges (1967 single)
It Would Be So Nice (1968 single)
London '66-'67 (1995 EP of 1967 recordings)





If you like what you hear or have a good idea for where the musical history tour should stop next, feel free to holler. I'm open to any suggestions and any kind of music. Remember it has to be connected to this era Pink Floyd.

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