Hey Joveski... Men at Work???

[Jesse Joe]

Colin Hay.


Joveski, or anyone out there can say something on that great group from the 80's, "Men at Work."

Everyone down here seemed to owned the cassette tape in the 80's 'Business As Usual.'

I really liked Colin Hay.

[ April 15, 2007, 11:01: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe. ]

[Borderstone]

Ah! Jess you picked the right group but (maybe) the wrong person to ask about Men At Work!

Starting in the late summer of 1982,Men At Work almost instantly became my favorite group at that time (at least through 1985,along with Wham!)

_______________________________________________

I heard,"Who Can It Be Now?" on the radio and I thought it was one of the freshest new songs in a good while. Their sound is a great fusion of jazz,pop & rock.
It went to #1 in October & that's from their debut LP,"Business As Usual".
That year (I missed it but) they were the opening act for Fleetwood Mac on their "Mirage" tour.

The second single,"Down Under" spent 4 weeks at the top 24 years ago this month in '83. At the Grammys they won Best New Artist (as well they should!) Strangely,the third single,"Be Good Johnny" did not even crack the top 40!

___________________________________________

Not long after came the "Cargo" LP early that summer. "Overkill" was the first single and hit #3,then "It's a Mistake" went to #6 in the fall.
I made a video (in 1990) of myself lip-syching "Overkill" too,still have it!

All through 1983 I saw their videos on local channel TV-61,an all music video station located only 1/2 a mile from my home. Back in 1995,I had a friend make a copy of all 5 of their hit song videos and including "Be Good Johnny".

In September of '83,while that second single was still riding high,I saw them in concert at the Vetran's Memorial Colesium here in Phoenix! Opening act Mental As Anything,another aussie group,that for some reason was booed! How rude!

I made a sign myself depicting the cover of Business As Usual with Men At Work Rules! above the picture.
I had to sneak it in (ooh,"B" you devious one! )and I got down to the front of the stage holding it up high above my head after they hit the stage...they even had a kangaroo bouce across the stage for "Down Under".
_______________________________________________
A couple of songs in lead singer Colin Hay saw my sign and smiled & gave me the thumbs up! I was even wearing a t-shirt with that logo too.

Not long after,the last Cargo single "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" (big mistake for a single) barely hit the top 30.
It was then two years before another LP,two key members left John Reese & Jerry Spieser. Leaving the group a trio of Colin Hay (vocals/guitar),Greg Ham (keyboards & clarient) and Ron Stykert (guitar).

_____________________________________

Their 3rd and final LP,"Two Hearts" was released in 1985 but their sound was different and the LP didn't fly. I still bought it but was really let down. The single,"Everything I Need" wasn't a hit.

Lastly,singer Colin Hay tried a solo LP,"Looking For Jack" in 1987. (I bought that too).
The single,"Hold Me" was the lowest ranking single of the entire year @ #97!

Since then there's been Best Of collections (what a waste of CD's!),and Colin has made TV appearences,most notably at the recent Olympics in Austrailia,singing (what else?) Down Under.

So Jess,aren't you glad you asked about them? LOL!

Ah...anyone else?

[ January 11, 2007, 19:41: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[joveski]

colin is actually playing tonight here (a solo show). i've seen him before solo so i'll give it a miss but he always puts on a good one. i mix of music/stories and comedy

[Jesse Joe]

Really glad I asked about them...lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psf9xyFfvd8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjyHQ5z-ooY

Thank's for all the info, Buddy Stone. But you mentioned a band in your post, that I like almost as much as Lightfoot. {Almost!!!} LOL





{Fleetwood Mac}





Now there's a great band, that, when I watch videos of them in concert, they gave me goosebumps, on my goose bumps...

Absolutely fantastic group:

That pretty blonde Stevie Nicks, {Golden Voice.} Guitarist extraordinaire, Lindsey Buckingham, now there's a guy who knows how to play a guitar.

They are awesome. They of course were my 2 favorites, from the group. Not taking anything away from Mick Fleetwood or Christine McVie.


Nicks, Stevie

Buckingham, Lindsey

Fleetwood, Mick

McVie, Christine

Mason, Dave




Hits, after hits, after hits. I have to listen to my, [Rumors CD,] before the day is done.{lol}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank's also Joveski, for your post. I thought you would have been the Corfidian to ask about 'Men At Work.' But that, {Music info encyclopedia} B Stone, {lol} pretty much answered it.

All the best to you both...~Jesse~

[ January 12, 2007, 10:23: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

[Jesse Joe]

Fleetwood Mac's, Magic...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVuhWA8EVMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLLjJF9Z3yo

This one shows the pure magic of Lindsey on Guitar. Great Picker, probably the Best guitar player ever. For me anyway...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdXbiB354us

[ January 12, 2007, 10:06: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

[Kathy in Michigan]

Jesse
Did you happen to catch the Crossroads on CMT with Lindsay Buckingham and Little Big Town? Lindsay is a master at his craft! Little Big Town isn't so bad either. I'm not much of a country fan, but I would buy their CD.

Kathy

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Jesse-Joe:

Now there's a great band, that, when I watch videos of them in concert, they gave me goosebumps, on my goose bumps...

Absolutely fantastic group:

I see that once again Jesse you are showing great taste.
I collected most Mac and Stevie Nicks albums and videos.
I have several old Betamax ones my favourite being Stevie's incredible concert video

White Wing Dove that I must make a DVD from
I have been fortunate to see the Mac twice , first years ago in Wembley London and a couple of years ago in New Jersey.
plus another NJ concert with Stevie accompanied by Sheryl Crow
As some may have noticed I am always keen to promote my birthplace ,Sherborne in Dorset and am very pleased to take this further opportunity
It is a fact as confirmed in his autobiography

(that I have) that Mick Fleetwood was for a while a boarder at the Sherborne Public (i.e. Private-fee paying) School which has existed since the 8th century
As Mick is a year younger than me and I went to a county paid boarding school in Sherborne we very possibly passed each other around town at some time.
Another famous old Sherburnian was the computer genius and wartime codebreaker Alan Turing
To learn more about the school see the inevitable wiki at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherborne_School

the imposing gateway into the school quad
the crest is that of King Edward the VIth who refounded the School in 1550 as King Edward's school and to this day it is known locally as "Kings School"
from a great Mick Fleetwood "biography" site
http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.ph...v2&id=829&c=12
"to a spell at King's School Sherbourne (sic), "the first of two boarding schools, a gorgeous place", from which he persistently ran away"
.

[Jesse Joe]

To Kathy in Michigan, I have seen a lot of Fleetwood Mac, and lots of Crossroads episode. I must have seen it, and have it on tape which these days I transfer to DVD. But Little Big Town doesn't ring a bell right at this moment. But you are correct he is a master at his craft.

Thanks for that Kathy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~





Jean mon amis, as usual very interesting to read. And great pics. This last one with the imposing gateway, reminds me of, The Avengers TV program.


I which I could post a better pic, of the old Moncton High School, that is still standing in the city. A beautiful huge Stone building, with a 1100 seat Auditorium, where our man Gord Lightfoot perform there in concert on April 12th 1969, or 1970.




The Moncton High School. Moncton, NB.






MHS, At corner of Mountain Rd. & Church Street...


$3.00 per ticket, I wish I would have had the chance to be there on that Sunday Night.

Yes indeed, it was a "Sunday Concert"...

[ January 12, 2007, 16:22: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

[Borderstone]

Last thing about Men At Work,their first two LPs are completely awesome. Every track is a winner. The third LP,very hit & miss.

Now,a stack of Mac:

Except on TV,I have never seen Fleetwood Mac live but...I do have the 5 main LP's any Fleetwood mac listner should have:

Fleetwood Mac-1975
Rumors-1977
Tusk-1979 (Like the title song better from "The Dance" concert.)
Mirage-1982
Tango In The Night-1987

I did have the dance but it got played so much on TV and radio,I gave it to my brother. As you might guess easily,I have all their top 40 hits,Stevie Nicks solo hits,Christine McVie's but...
neither one of Lindsay's solo hits. (Not crazy about "Trouble" '82 or
"Go Insane" '84. )

I also have McVie's solo debut LP "Cristine Perfect" (her maiden/real last name).

[Affair on Touhy Ave.]

Speaking of FM, who here's Familiar with their very early stuff such as Black Magic Woman, yeah the same song Santana did, and Oh Well?

[Borderstone]

I knew (after finding out years later) that Santana had covered that song from them but before about 1992,I wasn't aware of how far back the group dated.

For awhile I had their "Bare Trees" LP and a green LP that has two kids on the front (forgot the title just now.)

Those two and many other pre-Buckingham-Nicks LP's take up a good amount of room in used-LP bins.

They're not bad albums but overall,just not as interesting as the late 70s/1980s line-up.

By the way,the name Fleetwood Mac is derived from Mick Fleetwood's last name and the first 1/2 of John McVie's last name (not Christine's,she joined in the early 70s).

[ELizabeth]

JJ,
Unless I am off my rocker the bassman for FM was John McVie. Was M
ason a previous bassman or what?

[Jesse Joe]

Your probably not off your rocker, Elizabeth...

But click the link below and this is what it gives for Band Members...


http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/M.../Band_Members/


When Borderstone reads this, he will clarify it,Im sure...


[ January 14, 2007, 14:58: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

[Jesse Joe]

BTW, B. Stone, thanks for the info on the bands name. I knew Fleetwood was for the drummer M.F. But I had never figured out the Mac part. But it sounds pretty obvious now...


[ January 14, 2007, 15:36: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Borderstone:
Those two and many other pre-Buckingham-Nicks LP's take up a good amount of room in used-LP bins.

I missed out due to being in Canada until 1969 on all F-Macs early stuff and what I have subsequntly heard does not stir me like Rumours did way back in 1978.
Further to Walter's listing I also have the relatively rare (vinyl-only) Buckinham Nicks "demo" album

This is not currently officially available as a CD***, but it is brilliant
No my copy does not have their autographs as on this example from an ebay auction last August
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lindsey-Buckingh...QQcmdZViewItem
I seem to recall*** Mick Fleetwood heard either that album or the pair recording it and that chance encounter prompted him to invite them to join the then current and languishing Fleetwod Mac group, and the rest is History.
*** er um I just found that there was available a special collectors edition CD

Details are at:-
http://www.amazon.com/Buckingham-Nic.../dp/B000972AKM
I also found bootleg CD artwork
which will be useful when I get around to making a CD from the vinyl for my own enjoyment

and from a review on that Bonus CD page:-
"The story out there is that one day Mick Fleetwood entered a recording studio and "Frozen Love" was playing over the PA. He was so blown away by it that he asked who it was, and the rest as they say, is history. There is even the original version of "Crystal" on this record, which Mac redid on their self titled LP"
Back in September whilst on a visit to the San Fransisco area I was pleased when we took a guided tour and visited Sausalito where Rumours was recorded back in 1977.
I also have a treasured VHS tape telling the background to the making of Rumours which is
now available as a DVD

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Albums-Fleetwood-Mac... and I have another (1984) solo album called simply Christine McVie

[Sydney Steve]

Some fascinating reading about Fleetwood Mac on the net in various places. I was reading a few months ago about "Rumours" and the personal battles going on behind the scenes.

The band has had lots of persoonel who have played with them at various times.

Some readers may know of a bloke called Bob Welch who played with FM prior to going solo and releasing a very succesful single called "Ebony Eyes" in 1978.
The list of players in one book I have is Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, John & Christine McVie, Bob Welch, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette being a rather well connected /performed musician in his own right being the son of Dorsey Burnett and the nephew and cousin of Johnny Burnett and Rocky Burnette respectively . (Wikipedia lists achievements of both in brief if you are interested. )

PS Can't be bothered to provide a hyperlink or a picture of a castle though . Sorry .

PPS Neither Bob Welch or Billy Burnette went to school in Ulladulla NSW .

[brink-]

Christine McVie dated Dennis Wilson who put out and album Pacific Ocean Blue (which I have in vinyl and cd) and was working on Bamboo (which I have on a bootleg cd) when he died. Now contrary to rumor (or Rumours) Chris McVie was not with Dennis Wilson when he drown. So to tie this all together: Dennis Wilson lived in Topanga Canyon in California, which brings me back to Colin Hay who recorded an album called Topanga in 1994, and Gordon Lightfoot toured in California in 1994.
Sorry no pictures.

[ELizabeth]

It looks to me that there were several mixes of FM. So John McVie must have been one of the bassmen..not the only bassman. Sorry JJ

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Sydney Steve:

The list of players in one book I have is Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, John & Christine McVie, Bob Welch, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette being a rather well connected /performed musician in his own right being the son of Dorsey Burnett and the nephew and cousin of Johnny Burnett and Rocky Burnette respectively . (Wikipedia lists achievements of both in brief if you are interested. )
PS Can't be bothered to provide a hyperlink or a picture of a castle though . Sorry .

PPS Neither Bob Welch or Billy Burnette went to school in Ulladulla NSW .

Yes Billy was in the band when I saw them at Wembley in about 1987 (the Tango In The Night Tour I think it was. yes I bought an unofficial T I T N poster from illegal trader outside the Arena and Rick Vito was another extra in the band at that time and on that recording (word had it that a single good enough guitarist could not be found to replace Lindsay hence they had to get two Billy and Rick!!)
Tell me ex-juvenile offender is Ulladulla NSW
Australia's premier reform school or what??!!
Sherborne does have a huge variety of schools but none of them come up to the UK Borstal standard

Topanga Canyon Road under repair after Gord's large equipment vehicle passed through in 1994

[Jesse Joe]

Originally posted by ELizabeth:
It looks to me that there were several mixes of FM. So John McVie must have been one of the bassmen..not the only bassman. Sorry JJ

Ah! My Dear Elizabeth, you have nothing to be sorry about. ~Jesse~

[Borderstone]

Well,they included Peter Green on the yahoo site but they totally left out Bob Welch!

Bob left FM in '74 or so and went on to have solo hits like,"Ebony Eyes"-"Sentimental Lady" (with C. McVie on backing vocals) and about 2 other hits whose titles escape me just now.

Also,speaking of Stevie Nicks solo,I recall when I first heard the song,"Edge Of Seventeen",I thought she was singing/saying:

"Just like a one winged girl"!
"See saw 'round so I can spin it"! :D LOL!

I was in my early teens but still mishearing lyrics! Sorry Stevie!

[Borderstone]

Never seen him act outside of a Fleetwood Mac music video. Just how convincing is he?

[joveski]

he joined the Corrs on their Royal albert hall dvd in 1998 for a couple of songs. lots of charisma

[Borderstone]

Returning to the original topic of this thread,I just found out Colin Hay (of M.A.W.) is going to be playing a club in north Scottsdale on June 2nd!

If I actually go,it would be 23 years and almost 9 months after seeing Men At Work! I have to find out where this club is. Right on!

[Borderstone]

Wow. 5 years and month since I last posted in this thread.

I felt it was best to post this news on this particular thread,even though it is cetainly not happy news.

Greg Ham,who played sax,clarient & keyboard (and other instruments) for the 80s Australian band,was found deceased in his home this morning by some close friends. Greg was 58.
The police in Australia are also checking for possible foul play.

Greg,the grinning faced,comedian and mulit-instrumentalist of the band,is most reconizable on record for his solo's. The sax solo on "Who Can It Be Now?" (1982) His flute on "Down Under" His clarient solo on "Overkill" and his running-like keyboard playing on "Be Good Johnny" and his overall contributions to the band.

In their videos,Greg was the clown and/or comdian. In the video for their last hit "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive",Greg played a Jerry Lewis type ala "The Nutty Professor".

I had the great fortune to see the band live in 1983 at age 15. They were as grat in concert as they were on record. When I first heard the band on the radio,I found their sound to be quite progreessive and new for the time.

RIP Greg you gave your all to a band that deserved an even longer success.