So we're off to the land of Oz and we begin with this, one of my top 10 all-time favourite 7"s with an obligatory bad taste sleeve and 3 top notch tracks. Only 200 made. I'll add another track later.
2. THOUGHT CRIMINALS - 'More Suicides Please' - Doublethink 7" - Australia - 1979
From their get-it-out-before-we-can-play debut to their synth-laden and experimental later LPs the Thought Criminals were one of the more interesting Sydney bands. This is from the 2nd 7" - 'Food For Thoughtcrimes'.
3. PSYCHO SURGEONS - 'Horizontal Action' - Wallaby Beat 7" - Australia - 1978
The Surgeons were also from Sydney but only managed to recorded 2 measly tracks. The white cardboard sleeves for the single meanwhile were laid out in a room and a bucket of ox blood was splattered all over them. The labels are marked RH+ and RH-. Geddit?
4. RAZAR - 'Stamp Out Disco' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1978
'Headed to the local dance, Expecting the real hot jams, Maybe do a bit of fighting, Maybe be in a punk rock band . . .' Like all early Brisbane punk bands, Razar were persistently targeted by the police. Dave Darling, a concert promoter, remarked: '9 out 10 bands never made the final song'.
5. THE VICTIMS - 'Television Addict' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1977
Another classic single, this is the slower of the 2 selections but not necessarily the weaker. I'll include the flipside later. Co-written by Dave 'Flick' Faulkner who went on to form the Hoodoo Gurus.
6. CELIBATE RIFLES - 'Kent's Theme' - Hot 7" - Australia - 1982
The Rifles were fairly prolific throughout the '80s and '90s. This cut is from the first E.P. which is cryptically named: 'But Jacques, The Fish?'
7. WORLD WAR XXIV - 'Azaria' - Eyebrow 7" - Australia - 1983
'Dingoes don't eat babies, although they taste dead sweet!' Yes, it's another bad taste single about the Lindy Chamberlain case from the early '80s where she claimed that a dingo had carried her baby off into the night while camping at Ayers Rock. World War XXIV didn't believe it.
8. BABEEZ - 'Dowanna Love' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1977
As promised, another track from the 'Nobody Wants Me' E.P.
9. THE NEWS - 'Dirty Lies' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1978
By 1978 the Babeez had morphed into The News and released this 7".
10. REJEX - 'Niagara Baby' - Doublethink 7" - Australia - 1980
Cool sleeve with doll-babies cascading over a waterfall (geddit?) The song, however, is about a girl who cries too much.
11. THE SCIENTISTS - 'Frantic Romantic' - DNA 7" - Australia -1979
Another debut 7" from a prolific band throughout the '80s. Kim Salmon had formed proto-punk band the Cheap Nasties in August '76. He left in December '77 replacing Mark Demetrius in the Exterminators who then became the Invaders. The Invaders became the Scientists in May '78 when James Baker from the Victims replaced John Rowlings.
12. THE VICTIMS - 'Flipped Out Over You' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1977
As promised, the hyperactive 'flip'side.
13. FUN THINGS - 'Lipstick' - Own Label 7" - Australia - 1980
Some Radio Birdman style stuff now from a band whose members eventually ended up in the Screaming Tribesmen and the Hoodoo Gurus.
14. SUICIDE SQUAD - 'I Hate School' - Doublethink 7" - Australia - 1979
You may have heard them on one of the Aberrant compilation LPs without the female singer. This time band members went on to join less successful groups like Soggy Porridge and the Candy Harlots.
15. THE MANSONS - 'I Died Four Times (But I Don't Wanna Talk About It)' - Angelwood 7" - Australia - 1982
How many diseases, conditions and syndromes can you list? This great little ditty isn't all about the title.
16. YOUNG IDENTITIES - 'New Trends' - Shake Music 7" - Australia - 1979
From their 2nd E.P. Only 300 copies pressed, a few of which came with a dayglo-orange and black sleeve. Be prepared to pay big money if you want one.
17. SICK THINGS - 'Committed To Suicide' - Greville 7" - Australia - Recorded 1981 / Released 1985
The Sick Things didn't hold back and are responsible for some of the gnarliest recordings ever committed to vinyl. Having adopted some wonderful punk names, the songwriting credits appear on the record as: 'Sick, Sick, Sick, Bluuuugh!!!'
18. SICK THINGS - 'Police' - Greville 7" - Australia - as above
I can't include one track without the other. I was tempted to add their version of 'The Sounds Of Silence' too which is the sound of them destroying an old classic in the loudest most shambolic way possible. Maybe later.
19. THE LEFTOVERS - 'Cigarettes And Alcohol' - Punji Stick 7" - Australia - 1979
Reputed to be the inspiration for the Oasis song of the same name. Noel Gallagher was such a plagiarist. This song however is infinitely better, being a brutal slab of no-nonsense punk rock.
20. THE ROCKS - 'Kick Her Out' - Point Blank 7" - Australia - 1978
From the 'You're So Boring' E.P. The sleeve is littered with spelling mistakes. Peter Davie (from the band) said: 'Some reviewer called it nihilistic and misogynistic . . . it took us about six weeks to realise that was supposed to be an insult!'
21. TACTICS - 'Standing By The Window' - Folding Chair 7" - Australia - 1979
Considered by many as an 'art-punk' band they were formed in Canberra but moved to Sydney in late '78. The line-up changed repeatedly with vocalist and songwriter David Studdert the only constant member.
22. THE LAST WORDS - 'Animal World' - Remand 7" - Australia - 1978
There's 3 different versions of this single, all with different B-sides (another on Wizard and another on Rough Trade). They quickly relocated to London but unfortunately remained relatively obscure.
23. THE NUMBERS - 'Sunset Strip' - Able Label 7" - Australia - 1978
This Brisbane band pressed 500 copies as The Numbers before changing their name to The Riptides to avoid confusion with The Numbers from Sydney. They then released a couple of thousand under the new name with a slightly cleaner mix.
24. UPSETS - 'Back To Afghanistan' - Custom Pressing 7" - Australia -1981
The Upsets were from the Ipswich area (close to Brisbane) and this was their sole release. It didn't have a picture sleeve although some copies came with a poster/flyer type thing wrapped around it.
25. THE ASSASSINS - 'Assassination' - Greasy Pop 7" - Australia - 1983
Check out WALLABY BEAT (the blog) for the full story behind this monster of a song. The B-side is the A-side played backwards.
***BONUS TRACKS***
26. THE NEWS - 'Chop
Chop Chop'
27. PSYCHO SURGEONS -
'Wild Weekend'
28. RAZAR - 'Money
(Never Enuff For Me)'
29. RAZAR - '(Do The)
Self-Destruct'
30. THE BABEEZ -
'Nobody Wants Me'
GET IT HERE
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