Bellbird Music Announces Tamworth 2005 Releases! Four more fabulous collections of Classic Aussie recordings in Bellbird Music’s second release:

Various Artists Call of Bellbird Volume Two         BMCB404
Here is another collection of 20 memorable and original tracks recorded by Hadley Records. Among them are some well-loved artists who turned to recording at Hadley in their veteran years and some who were starting their recording careers with the label. There are three members of the Country Music Roll of Renown (Shorty Ranger, John Minson, and Rex Dallas) and two Golden Guitar winning tracks included on this collection (Natalie Wood – Who Were You Thinking Of and Norm Bodkin’s Fender Bender). Most tracks here have never been issued on CD.

Artists include Les Partell, John Vaughan, Trevor Day, Harry & Wilga Williams, The Singing Kettles, Shorty Ranger, Bandy Bill & Co, Colin James, John Minson, Lindsay Butler, Norm Bodkin, Buddy Weston, Ian Quinn, Tex Williams, Michael Cook, Natalie Wood, Felicity Urquhart, Stephen Bunz, Harold Williams and Rex Dallas

Singing Kettles The Way It Used To Be (Records One & Two)  BMCP405
24 classic tracks by the original Singing Kettles trio, Bill, Ross & Max, recorded in 1971, but not released on LP for a further eleven years. Bellbird Music now issues these two original albums on CD for the first time. For those who fondly remember the folksy and friendly sound of the original team, these tracks will forever represent Country Music, "The Way It Used To Be."

Tracks include great favourites like Bouquet Of Roses, Fraulein, Farther Along, I Can’t Help It, Wolverton Mountain, Wild Side of Life, I Still Miss Someone, North to Alaska, I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name, Almost Persuaded, Missing In Action and many more!

Shirley Thoms The Hadley Years 1970 – 1972       BMCP406
As the history of Australian Country Music is written, an important place among the “greats” is reserved for Shirley Thoms. She was the first Australian female country singer to record as a solo act, and was the first Queenslander to appear on commercial recordings. On 27^th May 1941 a 16-year-old Shirley made her first six contributions to Australia’s Country Music heritage in the recording studio of EMI in Sydney, including the song for which she is still best known, Where The Golden Wattle Blooms. She continued to record until 1952, and then came a long break until her association with Hadley Records began in 1970. These are those final Hadley recordings. Here are the recordings originally issued as the albums “Australia’s Yodelling Sweetheart” and “Shirley Thoms”.  In 1980, Shirley Thoms was further honoured as the first female performer elevated to the Country Music Roll Of Renown. 

Tracks include Where The Golden Wattle Blooms, My Daddy Was A Yodelling Cowboy, P.E.A.C.E., Waltz Of The Angels, Where Is The Kingdom Of Heaven, Sunday Morning Christian, Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello and Ashes.

Rex Dallas I Love The Old Bush Ballad Songs     BMCP407
Rex Dallas was born in Wallerawang, a small mining town near Lithgow, in regional New South Wales, Australia.   Like many a country boy before him, Rex began his career as an entertainer at local dances, and made his first radio appearance at the age of sixteen. Rex recalls in the liner notes to the original release of this album... "I love the old bush ballad songs.   That was the title of one of my many albums, and how true and part of me those words are!  In my childhood I would rise early to listen to the 5.30am programme "Hillbilly Trail" on the old hometown radio station, 2LT Lithgow.   Later in my youth, I was to co-host this programme with my old radio announcer mate, Jack Griffith.   We changed the name to "Early Morning Country Sounds" and ran the programme five days a week."  "It was during this early part of my life that my love for the bush, its characters and the songs written about them, grew."

Here’s Rex’s first classic bush ballad album with 4 extra tracks including his first Golden Guitar winning track, Old Wallerawang.  Features The Coloured Lad, The Old Briar Pipe, Snowy Mountain Yodel Thank The Bush For The Likes Of Them, Portrait Of A Truckie, Bluey, Trumby’s Mate and the title track I Love The Old Bush Ballad Songs.

 

Other Bellbird Music titles currently available
BMCB401        Call of the Bellbird Volume One
BMCP402        Rick & Thel Carey – “Mr & Mrs Country Music”
BMCP403        Jean Stafford – “Flowers For Mama & Jean Stafford”

Albums are available from all good music retailers right around the country, or contact the Country Music Store in Brisbane on (07) 3221 3000 or  www.bellbirdmusic.com.au for online ordering.

For more information and interviews please contact: Meryl Davis 0419 190 395 or meryl@countrymusic.com.au or Ron Adsett 07 3221 3000 ron@countrymusic.com.au