AUSTRALIA DAY IS CELEBRATED ON 26TH JANUARY HERE IN OZ. WE KEEP IT LOW KEY LIKE MOST OZ FAMILIES, BUT MY CHILDREN HAVE AN INTERESTING HERITAGE...MY MUM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY COMES FROM TWO FIRST FLEET CONVICTS, ANTHONY ROPE AND ELIZABETH PULLEY. THEY "MET" (A GENEALOGICAL TERM) THE DAY THE WOMEN WERE ALLOWED ASHORE ON THE 6TH FEBRUARY 1788.
SOME OF THE OFFICERS AND MALE CONVICTS HAD BEEN ASHORE SINCE 20TH JANUARY MAKING CAMPS AND LOOKING FOR SETTLEMENT SITES FOR ALL THE NEW ARRIVALS. THEY HAD MOVED FROM THE LESS SUITABLE BOTANY BAY TO SYDNEY COVE TO CLAIM AUSTRALIA FOR ENGLAND BY THE 26TH JANUARY...
WELL, NINE MONTHS AFTER THE LADIES WERE ALLOWED ASHORE (6TH FEBRUARY 1788), ANTHONY AND ELIZABETH HAD THE FIRST CONCEIVED AND BORN OFFSPRING IN THE COLONY....THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CHILDREN CONCEIVED ALONG THE WAY OF COURSE, BUT THEY WERE NOT "AUSTRALIAN MADE".
MY CHILDREN HAVE EUROPEAN HERITAGE AND ABORIGINAL HERITAGE FROM MY WIFE'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY. HER ANCESTORS CAME FROM THE MANNING VALLEY AND DUNGOG DISTRICTS OF NSW. I THINK THIS MAKES US A TYPICAL BLENDED AUSSIE FAMILY.
AND NOW, FOR THE MUSIC...
COLLEEN HEWETT HAD A HIT IN 1973 WITH A VERY DIFFERENT VERSION OF "WALTZING MATILDA" AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE ORIGINAL SINGLE VERSION HAS NOT MADE IT TO C.D.
AFTER TRANSFERRING THIS ONE TO C.D. I REALISED JUST HOW CLEAN AND CRISP SOME OLD SONGS CAN SOUND AFTER A BIT OF SONIC SHAPING.
TO CELEBRATE OZ DAY, HERE IS THE ALMOST PRISTINE VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL 7" SINGLE:
http://rapidshare.com/files/180291581/colleen_hewitt_-_waltzing_matilda__1973_vinyl_version_.mp3
. At the moment, I can't find it, but I do remember being in the studio at 8 TOP FM in Darwin on a Saturday morning in the early 80s with Barry McNamara when he interviewed Colleen. She didn't know where it had come from, so we checked the label - from a TV Special she had done for Chnnel 7. If you have the single, Tom, the other side is a superb cover of John Lennon's Mother, which also deserves to be 'rediscovered' or 'rescued from the vaults'
ReplyDeleteAdrian Wellington
catwzl49@optusnet.com.au
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by your ability to make these lost gems available again. Good on you, and thanks for doing it.
I wonder if I might be able to email you with some various requests.
My email address is:
cmf_is (at) hotmail.com
Hope to hear from you when you can.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work.
Casey
Sorry Casey,
ReplyDeleteI don't do individual requests etc. I put up songs which I know have not appeared on CD or have not been commercially available for some time on CD.
Why not go to Midoztouch site and click discussion forum and and then do a "search this site" request...
http://www.midoztouch.com/
I hope this helps,
Tom