IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SONG - The Tale of Ted Albert & Alberts Music

I think its a fair bet that all of the bands listed on this blog have appeared at one time or another in their own personal blogaroo , so I wont go into massive detail about them, I will however tell the tale of the guy that had an inate genius as regards to aussie music and the record label he founded and subsequently had my 70s musically sorted

The Albert family landed in Sydney in 1884 and started a business repairing time pieces and violins in the city suburb of Newtown in 1885

They soon began importing and selling a wider range of musical instruments including a Boomerang mouth organ. The company trademarked the word 'boomerang' and stamped it on German manufactured mouth organs. The harmonicas were a run away success selling at a rate of 800 a week by 1897....you reckon music was in their genes?

Many a yonk later ,  after running the ABC for a while  Frank Albert used the proceeds from the licence renewal to establish Radio Station 2UW, which is still going strong today
Over the next 50 years the J. Albert & Son empire gradually acquired interests in a network of eight stations which later morphed into the Macquarie Radio Network. The stations included 4BC in Brisbane, 3DB in Melbourne and 2CC in Canberra. Later still in the 1950s the company became a major shareholder in ATV Channel Seven.

In 1964 the Albert family founded Albert Productions, Australia's first independent record label devoted exclusively to signing and recording Australian pop artists. The Easybeats are the most successful artists to sign to the recording label....this is were Teds magic ear for a hit really began to spark

Early in 1972 Simon Napier-Bell, the English record producer was scouting for new talent in Australia and produced a few records for Alberts including 'Pasadena'. The song which was recorded by singer John Paul Young was written by former Easybeats's Vanda and Young with lyrics by David Hemmings. The single reached No. 16 on the Australian Singles charts in early 1972.

At the time Vanda and Young were still living in England but upon hearing of 'Pasadena's chart success and upon a request from Ted, they returned to Sydney.  In 1973 Alberts opened a recording studio in Boomerang House a building owned by the Albert family at 255 King Street in Sydney. ..

.it was in this hallowed space that Ted, Harry and George and their magical ears started turning out album after album and hit after hit...it was also here that the famous "7 nails" lived..George and Harry had a vast collection of drum beats on lengths of tapes hanging on the nails...some of Aussies greatest hits drum beats hung on the nails and were used

During the 1970s and the early 1980s Albert Studio became, quite possibly, the preeminent recording studio in Sydney, for recording contemporary music for artists, from William Shakespeare through to Rose Tattoo, Heroes, Cheetah, Choirboys and  AC/DC....with all of the artists supervised by the one person they all agree, was no one to be frigged with, Teds hand picked A&R boss Fifa Riccobono ....all the artists interviewed on Blood + Thunder spout nothing but glowing praise for the lady.

Alberts studio one was often rented out to non label artists ....bands like Cold Chisel laid down some deadset classics in the hallowed halls of Boomerang house,  blues music acts such as Graham Lowndes taped there and Alberts was also used for the recording of commercial radio jingles...rental fees are rental fees..Right?

Ted invested huge sums of time and money equipping Alberts with state-of-the-art recording technology and the facility was gradually expanded to accommodate three studios. 
In 1988 Albert and producer Tristram Miall established a film production company called M&A Productions (Miall & Albert) to pursue film ideas and opportunities in the music and dance genre. 

Ted Albert had attended Sydney's Wharf Theatre to watch a stage play called 'Strictly Ballroom' written and directed by Baz Luhrmann. Tristram Miall bought the film rights and commissioned Luhrman to write and direct the film adaption. Albert spent three years raising film finance. In recognition of his contribution to the local music industry, Ted Albert was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award at the annual ARIA Awards

 In November 1990 Albert suffered a fatal heart attack at home. His wife Antoinette (Popsey) Albert assumed the role of Executive Producer to see production to completion.
The year after Ted passed , the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) established the annual Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music.

In 2007 Albert Music acquired the Origin Network Company which manage the copyrighted work and music catalogues of the Australian recording artists Lee Kernaghan, Richard Clapton, Rogue Traders, Mike Brady, Paul Grabowsky, Joe Dolce, Chris Neal, Cezary Skubiszewski, Parrish Muhoberac, and Paul Wiltshire.

ALBERTS ARTISTS

AC/DC..Rose Tattoo..Paulini..Megan Washington..Minus The Bear..The Seabellies..The Basics..Shelley Harland..Eulogies..Bad Veins..Dallimore..The Dears..Darker My Love..Sea Wolf..Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs..Breed 77..Dallas Crane..George Young..Graham Lowndes
happylife..Harry Vanda..Aleesha Rome..John Paul Young..Oblivia..Skybombers
Stevie Wright..The Choirboys..The Answer..The Easybeats..The Marcus Hook Roll Band
The Missing Links..The Throb..The Angels..San Cisco..William Shakespeare (John Cave)
It’s all about the Song!

GOOD TIMES TRACKLIST

CD #1 – SHAKIN' ALL OVER

Mashed Potato (single Version) - Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs

Sick & Tired - Billy Thorpe and The Azetcs

She's So Fine - The Easybeats

We 2 Should Live - The Missing Links

Shakin' All Over - The Missing Links

Women (Make You Feel Alright) - The Easybeats

Black - The Throb

Over The Rainbow (single version) - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

I Told The Brook (single version) - Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs

Sweet And Tender Romance - Bobby & Laurie

The Fortune Teller - The Throb

Kansas City - The Missing Links

Sorry - The Easybeats

Hitch Hiker - Bobby & Laurie

Try To Remember - New World

Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You - The Imagination

Julia - Ted Mulry

Love Is a Beautiful Song - Dave Mills

Working My Way Back To You - Bobbi Marchini

Falling In Love Again - Ted Mulry

Pasadena - John Paul Young

You're All Woman - Ted Mulry

St Louis - The Easybeats

Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats

Good Times - The Easybeats

CD #2 - LET THERE BE ROCK

Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down) - Stevie Wright

Evie (Evie) - Stevie Wright

Evie (I'm Losing You) - Stevie Wright

It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) - AC/DC

Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again - The Angels

Bad Boy For Love - Rose Tattoo

Never Gonna Die – Choirboys

We Are The Kids – Dallimore

Need Your Love (radio edit) - Ray Arnott

Let There Be Rock - AC/DC

Comin' Down - The Angels

Shadow Boxer - The Angels

Who Made Who - AC/DC

Dirty Hearts - Dallas Crane

It Goes Off – Skybombers

The Time I Found My Feet – Knievel

Trans Ending – Seabellies

Curiosity - Dallas Crane

We Can't Be Beaten - Rose Tattoo

You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

CD #3 – AIN'T IT NICE

Can't Stop Myself From Loving You - William Shakespeare

Jump In My Car - Ted Mulry Gang

Down Among The Dead Men - Flash and The Pan

Excuse Me - Alison MacCallum

Yesterday's Hero - John Paul Young

My Little Angel - William Shakespeare

Darktown Strutters Ball - Ted Mulry Gang

Hey St Peter - Flash and The Pan

Standing In The Rain - John Paul Young

Jamaica Rum - Ted Mulry Gang

Walking In The Rain - Doc Neeson #

Spend The Night – Cheetah

Time After Time - Mark Williams & Tara Morice

In The Dark - Shelley Harland

Ain't It Nice - Ted Mulry

Love Is In The Air - John Paul Young

Honey Dip - (radio version) - Daniel Amalm

Search My Heaven - Aleesha Rome

Show No Mercy - Mark Williams

CD #4 - OPEN THAT DOOR

Lazy River – Harry Vanda and George Young

Been And Gone - Cool Bananas

Survival's A Song (Lazybones) - Graham Lowndes

Blue Sunny Sky Day - Wendy Grose

The Girl On The Five Dollar Note - The Prodigal Sons

Brumby Jack - Alex Hood

How About A Beer For The Horse - Sandshoe Willie & The Worn Out Soul Band

Love Don't Make A Fool Out Of Me - Unit 4 + 2

Care For Kids - The Kids

You Drive Me Crazy - John Paul Young

Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White - The Magnetics

Flaming Heart (radio edit) - Ray Arnott

Working For The Man – BAD

Picture Show Man – John Meillon and John Ewart

The Warrior - Johnny Dick

Day Is Done - Wayne Jury

Mundane – Valve

Snow Queen - Rose Tattoo

Planned Obsolescence - The Angels

Open That Door - The Angels

Street Fighting Man - Rose Tattoo

CD #5 - MY KIND OF MUSIC

She's So Fine (live) – Melbourne Awards Show - The Easybeats

My Kind Of Music (live) - Stevie Wright

Crazy (live) – Ted Mulry Gang

Darktown Strutters Ball (live) – Festival Hall Melbourne - Ted Mulry Gang

She's Got Balls (live) – Bondi Lifesavers - AC/DC

Who Rings The Bell (live) – The Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney - The Angels

Going Home (live) - The Angels

Bad Boy For Love – (Live 1979) - Rose Tattoo

Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw – (Live 1979) - Rose Tattoo

Dirty Hearts (live) - Hordern Pavillion 2004 - Dallas Crane

Tonight! (There's a Party Going Down) (live) – Annandale - Dallas Crane

Comin' Down (live) - The Angels

Shoot To Thrill (Live at River Plate ) - AC/DC

Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down) (live) - Sydney Opera House Forecourt - Stevie Wright

Evie (Evie) (live) - Sydney Opera House Forecourt - Stevie Wright

Evie (I'm Losing You) (live) - Sydney Opera House Forefront - Stevie Wright

She's So Fine (Take 2) - The Easybeats