Flaming Galah
Encyclopedia
Flaming Galah is Australia
n rock band Fraternity
's second and final studio album, released in 1972. This album differs musically from their previous effort, Livestock, which consisted mostly of a progressive and psychedelic sound. For Flaming Galah, the band moved in a more blues/boogie rock direction.
They continued their progressive side however, with re-recordings of a number of tracks from Livestock, such as "You Have a God", "Raglan's Folly", and "Canyon Suite" (known as "Grand Canyon Suites" on Livestock), and with the introduction of "Seasons of Change", a considerable amount of progressive rock is evident on the album. "Annabelle" is a reworking of "Cool Spot", from Livestock.
Interviews with band members clarify the songwriting credits for those songs which were credited to the whole band on the album sleeve. John Bisset recalled "Welfare Boogie" as having been written by "Sam [See] and possibly Bruce [Howe] and Bon [Scott]", with "Hemming's Farm" being "mainly Sam's". Sam See has stated that he wrote "Hemming's Farm" himself, and co-wrote "Welfare Boogie" with Terry Wilkins from his previous band The Flying Circus
. Bisset himself wrote "If You Got It".
Unlike Livestock, Flaming Galah has never had a CD reissue, although both this and the first album have been released as a two CD set including all the singles and other rarities released during Fraternity's career.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock band Fraternity
Fraternity (band)
Fraternity were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in 1970 and relocated to Adelaide in 1971. Former members include successive lead vocalists Bon Scott , John Swan , and his brother Jimmy Barnes...
's second and final studio album, released in 1972. This album differs musically from their previous effort, Livestock, which consisted mostly of a progressive and psychedelic sound. For Flaming Galah, the band moved in a more blues/boogie rock direction.
They continued their progressive side however, with re-recordings of a number of tracks from Livestock, such as "You Have a God", "Raglan's Folly", and "Canyon Suite" (known as "Grand Canyon Suites" on Livestock), and with the introduction of "Seasons of Change", a considerable amount of progressive rock is evident on the album. "Annabelle" is a reworking of "Cool Spot", from Livestock.
Interviews with band members clarify the songwriting credits for those songs which were credited to the whole band on the album sleeve. John Bisset recalled "Welfare Boogie" as having been written by "Sam [See] and possibly Bruce [Howe] and Bon [Scott]", with "Hemming's Farm" being "mainly Sam's". Sam See has stated that he wrote "Hemming's Farm" himself, and co-wrote "Welfare Boogie" with Terry Wilkins from his previous band The Flying Circus
The Flying Circus (band)
The Flying Circus was a pioneering Australian country rock band who had a number of pop hits in Australia from 1968 to 1971 and then re-located to Canada from 1971 to 1974 where they also achieved a degree of success.-Beginnings:...
. Bisset himself wrote "If You Got It".
Track listing
- All tracks written by Fraternity unless otherwise stated.
- "Welfare Boogie" – 3:44
- "Annabelle" (Mick Jurd, John Bisset) – 4:00
- "Seasons of Change" (John Robinson, Neale Johns) – 3:56
- "If You Got It" – 4:07
- "You Have a God" (M. Jurd, Carol Jurd) – 3:12
- "Hemming's Farm" – 3:49
- "Raglan's Folly" (M. Jurd, Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
) – 4:43 - "Getting Off" (M. Jurd) – 3:26
- "Sommerville R.I.P." (Bruce Howe, Sam See) – 3:55
- "Canyon Suite" (M. Jurd) – 7:21
Personnel
- Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple... - Mick Jurd – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
s - Sam See – slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Bruce Howe – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- John Bisset – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- "Uncle" John Eyers – harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
- John Freeman – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Re-recordings
Six out of the ten songs on Flaming Galah are re-recordings of older tracks:- "Seasons of Change" originally appeared as a single released after the first album but before Flaming Galah.
- "You Have a God" has an added echo effect the Livestock LP version did not.
- "Raglan's Folly" is shorter on this album and does not feature the use of Scott's recorder.
- "Sommerville R.I.P." is virtually the same as the Livestock version except that the first version was named simply "Summerville".
- "Canyon Suite" is a rerecording of "Grand Canyon Suites", from Livestock, and features more use of piano, organ, and synthesized guitar than the original version.
Unlike Livestock, Flaming Galah has never had a CD reissue, although both this and the first album have been released as a two CD set including all the singles and other rarities released during Fraternity's career.