Media Release July 20th 2004

July 20th, 2004

Bellbird Music successful debut at Hats Off.

Meryl Davis (Bellbird Partner), Ross Murphy (Opal Records), Shorty Ranger, Hilary Scott (Hadley), Kevin Knapp (ACMF), Eric Scott (Hadley) First releases from Bellbird Music were very successfully launched at the Australian Country Ron Adsett (Bellbird Partner) with Shorty Ranger and wife Ruby Jane inspecting his memorabillia in the ACMF exhibition Music Foundation on Saturday 10^th July at the “Hats Off To Country” festival in Tamworth. Many artists who have recorded for the famous label from across four decades of recording attended, together with local and country wide media from press and broadcasting.

Shorty Ranger and wife Ruby Jane made a very special trip to Tamworth from their home, “Winter Winds” in Kempsey, Lindsay Butler and partner Shaza Leigh came along, as well as Felicity Urquhart whose debut album is now in the Bellbird catalogue.

Ross Murphy from Opal Records, legendary 2TM broadcaster Kevin Knapp, recent graduates from the young talent Camerata College, supporters and members of the staff of the Foundation also enjoyed the morning. Cheryl Byrnes, daughter of Gentleman Geoff Brown helped hand around the freshly made scones with jam and cream made by Meryl and assisted by Rosie.

Joy McKean and Anne Kirkpatrick enjoy the morning Most honoured guests were Joy McKean and daughter Anne Kirkpatrick.

A special presentation was made to Hadley partners Eric and Hilary Scott in appreciation for their years of development and nurturing to so many backbone artists of our Australian Country Music heritage.

The premier release is a new collection called “Call Of The Bellbird Volume One” which has been compiled to introduce many of the Hadley recording artists to a new generation of fans. Artists featured on the album are Gordon Parsons, Stan Wood, Bryan Watkins, Buddy Bishop, Eddie Tapp, Geoff Brown, The Singing Kettles, Dusty Rankin, Shirley Thoms, Norm Bodkin & Kenny Kitching, Athol McCoy, Jean Stafford, Rick & Thel, Rocky Page, Rex Dallas and Slim Newton.

Two more titles were released - Rick & Thel Carey’s first Hadley recordings Mr & Mrs Country Music with extra tracks, and a double album issue of Jean Stafford’s first albums Flowers For Mama and Jean Stafford on one CD.

After 25 years recording for EMI, Rick & Thel moved to Hadley Records where they had recorded their last couple of projects for EMI and produced a further four albums. They were inducted into the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown in 1985.

Three times Gold Guitar winner Jean Stafford currently has no CD’s available to the public, so it’s very timely that Bellbird has recognised her historic Hadley debut albums and included them in their first releases.

Bellbird plan further releases for later in 2004 and a bumper crop for the Tamworth Festival in 2005, with many of the 120 titles in the Hadley Masters series seeing a new life over the next 12 months and beyond, some as value priced original issues, others in new compilations and double albums on one CD.

These are the first issues in what we hope to be an ongoing programme of re-issues and new compilation of the classic recordings from the Hadley Studios.