DURING THE MID 1970S NORMAN GUNSTON (REAL NAME GARRY MCDONALD) APPEARED ON THE A-B-C TV SHOW "AUNTY JACK" AND FROM THIS HUMBLE BEGINNING HE ROSE TO FAME. NORMAN'S RECORDS WERE VERY POPULAR ESPECIALLY IN HIS HOMETOWN OF WOLLONGONG."SALUTE TO ABBA" WAS A NATIONAL HIT. IT WAS RECORDED ON THE LOW BUDGET LAMMINGTON LABEL. NORMAN WAS NOT PROMOTED PROPERLY OR WITH REVERENCE AND THE LABEL ISSUED "SALUTE TO ABBA" AND ITS FLIP-SIDE "HORS D'OEUVRE" AS A DOUBLE "B" SIDED SINGLE. WHAT AN INJUSTICE!
LATER ON NORMAN HAD HITS WITH "KISS ARMY" AND "I MIGHT BE A PUNK". BY THE TIME HE HAD "PUNKED" HIS WAY BACK INTO THE TOP 40, NORMAN WAS PRODUCED BY ROSS WILSON AND BACKED BY A LEGITIMATE RECORD DEAL.
WITH THE RIGHT MANAGEMENT AND BETTER PROMOTION AT THE START OF HIS CAREER, NORMAN MAY HAVE HAD BETTER FORTUNE. I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW NOW.
ONE OF NORMAN'S 7" SINGLE FLIP-SIDES WAS CALLED "NORMDRUM". IT WAS A SPOOF OF AN EPISODE OF "COUNTDOWN" [ANOTHER A-B-C TV SHOW] WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS HOSTED BY IAN "MOLLY" MELDRUM.
IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A COPY OF "NORMDRUM" YOU CAN HEAR THE POTENTIAL NORMAN HAD FOR COMEDY, BUT SINCE IT WAS RELEGATED TO A FLIP-SIDE, IT HARDLY GOT AIRPLAY AND IT WAS ONCE AGAIN POORLY PROMOTED. I PRESUME "MOLLY" MELDRUM MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DEMISE OR MAYBE GLENN A. BAKER, BOTH OF WHOM WERE KNOWN TO BE JEALOUS OF NORMAN'S SUCCESS. I GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW NOW?
ENJOY HIS OLD HITS BELOW:
SALUTE TO ABBA
http://rapidshare.com/files/148681577/Norman_Gunston_-_Salute_To_Abba__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3
HORS D'OEUVRE
http://rapidshare.com/files/148680299/Norman_Gunston_-_Hors_D_oeuvre__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3
I MIGHT BE A PUNK
http://rapidshare.com/files/148681383/Norman_Gunston_-_i_might_be_a_punk__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3
KISS ARMY
http://rapidshare.com/files/148681994/norman_gunston_-_kiss_army__vinyl_tom_mix_.mp3
For the joined non-stop version of NORMDRUM and KISS ARMY here is the download:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CRQFCZS9
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