A mate of mine from up Newcastle way was saying on Facebook the other day that the neighbours love loud music, whether they wanted to or not...so in that spirit of giving, I bring you Newys very own ORIGINAL rock stars (sorry Screaming Jets)...RABBIT
Originally "The Cherries" The band was formed in 1973 by Mark Tinson (guitar, vocals), Phil Screen (drums) and Jim Porteus (bass). Vocalist Greg Douglas joined in 1974...Rabbit adopted a thumping brand of commercial glam-boogie (somewhere between US groups like Kiss and Brownsville Station) and the members decked themselves out in bare-chested silk blouses, spandex leggings and stack- heeled boots.,Greg Douglas was replaced in October of 1975 by Dave Evans, formerly of AC/DC.
Two early singles were followed up by a self-titled album "Rabbit" (SBP 234748) in 1975 for CBS, here for you to download. Backing vocals were by Pamela Barnett and the album was produced by John Egginton at Trafalgar Studios in Sydney. David Hinds joined as rhythm guitarist in 1976.
The band was already the number one rock band in Newcastle and the surrounding area's of Newy and the Central Coast, before Dave signed on, actually Evans had seen them performing at Chequers nightclub in Sydney and was impressed with their confronting stage presence.
As with all things Rabbit, It wasn't long until they had signed with CBS records and recorded their first album "Rabbit" which had some success. The band moved to Sydney and soon rivalled Hush in the glam stakes. Rabbit signed to CBS and issued the album "Rabbit", which produced two singles, `Lady La Di Da'/`Marvel Man' (October 1975) and `Running Bear'/`Let's Go Rock'n'Rollin' Tonight' (December). With the release of the album, Dave Hinds (ex-Father Mouse, Hot Ice, Marshall Brothers Band and Highway) expanded the band's line-up by joining as lead guitarist.
Rabbit appeared on the ABC-TV's pop show Countdown, and set off on a national tour with the Ted Mulry Gang....
Have a go at this for a description. the nitwit, drongo, dickhead of a critic who wrote it obviously has yearnings to write fkn shakespeare or something,
"If I was a parent and read this, I wouldnt let my kids anywhere near theis mob, numbnuts described them as frenetic, violently hedonistic and Dave himself was described as savagely heterosexual"
....WHAT, DID YOU HAVE THEASAURUS FOR BREKKY, STUPID, DID YOU?...geez.. anyway
The "Too Much Rock And Roll" album was then distributed in Japan and a big slab of Wester Europe, sales in Holland and Demanrk and Belgium were pretty damn impressive, however Rabbit did not tour these countries as two members called it quits after a grueling three-month Australian tour..... In early 1977, founder members Mark Tinson and Phil Screen left the band. Only Screen was replaced (by Barry Lytten) and the band continued as a four-piece. Rabbit issued one more single, a cover of "Paul Revere and the Raiders" `Let Me'/`Kiss Me Goodnight' (July 1977), but by the end of the year was on shaky The guyskicked on after adding a new drummer and released the single "Let Me" but it wasn't the same feeling without the two original members and the band folded in 1978.
Anyway, thats the tale of Rabbit...a rockin band that shoulda been huge
Why is it that collectores of records will pay massive amounts for Australian progressive rock (i.e. laid-back early 70's music with flutes made by fat stoned dudes with beards), Australian 60's beat or Australian 70's punk, but consider themselves too serious to check out some of the amazing rock and roll made by 70's glam rock-stars in Australia? Take Feather, Finch, Hush and of course the band we are reviewing here - the great Rabbit. What is their fucking problem? The problem is that these train spotting, ant farming collectors are full of shit cause this record, their second, is a killer heavy-rock masterpiece!!
If you enjoyed classic-era Sweet (before they grew moustaches and started suing keyboards) and early Kiss (before they started doing ballads and fake live albums) then you will flip-out over this record. A previous issue of Vicious Kitten reviewed the first Rabbit album and there are a few slight differences in the two albums. "Too Much Rock'n'Roll" was recorded at one of the most famous studios in Sydney - Alberts (AC/DC, Rosey Tatts, etc.) and the sound is not quite as raw as the first LP. The band were joined by an additional guitarist in David Hinds - who after Rabbit went on to join Finch with ex-AC/DC bass player Mark Evans, but that's another album review.
Kiss and The Sweet still appear to be big musical influences on the music. Firstly the front cover...the five band members all dressed to kill in stack heel hell and then the music - the opening intro a chant version of "Too Much Rock'n'Roll" with five pairs of boots stomping!! Then it's straight into "Higher Than A Kite" which starts like "Ballroom Blitz" on speed but comes into its own once the vocals kick in. "...I can hear my baby calling but I can't even see that far..." - cool lyrics or what?! There are a few slightly poppier sounding tracks like "Go Down Screaming" which has a T-Rex-meets-AC/DC vibe to it and "Keep On" (not the Brady Bunch song) yet there's also some hammer-riff classics like "Bad Girls" and of course the title track (which is not unlike the the Kiss song "Deuce" which isn't a bad thing).
As great an album as this is, the best way to experience Rabbit (second only to boarding the time-machine bound for a seedy Newcastle nightclub in 1975) is on a bootleg video which features a 1974 thirty minute TV special where the band plays live tracks from the first LP and also a one off re-union gig from the early 90's. Yes they are all a bit fatter and older but it still rocked as wild as ever - or as Al Bundy once told me "If you've got it, you've got it."
So there you go, that's Rabbit for you and a salways as my gift to you a Rabbit comp link is posted for your pleasure.
The TOO MUCH ROCK'N'ROLL ALBUM REVIEW was originally printed in a fanzine from the mid 90s called VICIOUS KITTEN -
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