I'll Be Gone
Encyclopedia
"I'll Be Gone" or "Some Day I'll Have Money" is a song
by Australian progressive rock
group Spectrum
released as their debut single by EMI
on Harvest Records
in January 1971. It peaked at #1 on the national singles chart, while it reached Top 5 in Melbourne
, Sydney
and Brisbane
. The song was written by guitar
ist and vocalist Mike Rudd
, and produced by Howard Gable. The B-side, "Launching Place Part Two" was written to promote a music festival. Spectrum never repeated the success of "I'll Be Gone".
in 1969 by Mike Rudd
, a New Zealand
-born singer, songwriter and guitarist (ex-Chants R&B
, The Party Machine, Sons of the Vegetal Mother
), together with bass
ist Bill Putt (Gallery
, The Lost Souls), organist Lee Neale (ex-Nineteen 87), and drummer
Mark Kennedy. Spectrum played covers of Traffic
, Soft Machine
and Pink Floyd
initially, they then developed their own style and wrote a set of original material. Just prior to being signed up by EMI
, Spectrum cut a demo single which they hawked to record companies as a 7" acetate. One side was an early, folky version of "I'll Be Gone", according to rock historian Ian McFarlane, these acetates are now "impossibly rare" and only two or three copies are known to have survived.
Once signed to EMI's progressive imprint Harvest Records
, Spectrum went into the studio to make their first official recordings under producer Howard Gable, who had worked with The Masters Apprentices
. They had a #1 Australian hit with their first single, "I'll Be Gone", which has become one of the most enduring Australian rock songs of that era. The B-side, "Launching Place Part Two" was written to promote a music festival. They released their debut LP Spectrum Part One in late 1970 but Rudd would not allow their hit single to appear on the album. Drummer Kennedy left just after it was recorded and was replaced by Ray Arnott (ex-Cam-Pact, Company Caine).
Ross Wilson, vocalist and guitarist, had been a founding member of The Party Machine with Rudd, they were later both members of Sons of the Vegetal Mother, Wilson formed Daddy Cool
as a side-project while Rudd went on to form Spectrum. During their time in 'Vegetals' Rudd had started working on "I'll Be Gone" and Wilson approved of the song, "That's it, that's the one". Daddy Cool and Spectrum often toured together in their early years. Rudd described the development of the song:
Although recorded in August 1970 the song was not released until January 1971 due to the 1970 radio ban
, which was a dispute between radio stations and major record labels over payments for songs being broadcast. Chris Löfvén went on to direct the video for Daddy Cool's debut single "Eagle Rock
" which also peaked at #1 later in 1971. The Launching Place Festival was a minor festival held on 31 December 1970 at Launching Place
60 km east of Melbourne, other acts included Wendy Saddington
, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
, Healing Force and King Harvest. Spectrum recorded "Launching Place Part One" and "Launching Place Part Two" to promote the festival.
, Margret RoadKnight
and Manfred Mann's Earth Band
. The latter was released, along with B-side "Launching Place Part Two", on their 1974 LP The Good Earth
.
In 1984 Australian Country Music
singer John Williamson
paid tribute to the song by recording his own version, a version which kept the originality but also suited his own brand of country music. Palladium
recorded a version for the film Dirty Deeds
.
John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew
covered the song on their 2008 album Behind the Lines
.
, as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "I'll Be Gone" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs
of all time. Since its release in 1971, the song has become an FM Radio staple, as shown on the Triple M
Essential Countdown for 2006 where "I'll Be Gone" came in at #331.
according to APRA.
Recording details
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Australian progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group Spectrum
Spectrum (band)
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne in 1969 and, in its original period, remained in existence until 1973. Its members also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps...
released as their debut single by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
in January 1971. It peaked at #1 on the national singles chart, while it reached Top 5 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The song was written by guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and vocalist Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
, and produced by Howard Gable. The B-side, "Launching Place Part Two" was written to promote a music festival. Spectrum never repeated the success of "I'll Be Gone".
Background
Spectrum was formed in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1969 by Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
, a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born singer, songwriter and guitarist (ex-Chants R&B
Chants R&B
Chants R&B were a rhythm and blues band from Christchurch, New Zealand, and are considered one best examples of garage rhythm and blues from Australasia during the 1960s. They won the Battle Of The Bands contest at Addington Showgrounds in 1964...
, The Party Machine, Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Sons of the Vegetal Mother were an Australian "esoteric special-occasion progressive band", formed in late 1969, with a floating lineup based around the nucleus of Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford. A side-project of the band, formed in 1970 was Daddy Cool, which played 1950s doo-wop music plus some...
), together with bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Bill Putt (Gallery
Gallery (band)
Gallery was an American soft rock band of the 1970s. It was formed in Detroit, Michigan by Jim Gold. While Gallery did record a number of songs, they are most famous for their 1972 hit single, "Nice to Be with You", written by Gold...
, The Lost Souls), organist Lee Neale (ex-Nineteen 87), and drummer
Drum kit
A 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 ....
Mark Kennedy. Spectrum played covers of Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
, Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
initially, they then developed their own style and wrote a set of original material. Just prior to being signed up by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Spectrum cut a demo single which they hawked to record companies as a 7" acetate. One side was an early, folky version of "I'll Be Gone", according to rock historian Ian McFarlane, these acetates are now "impossibly rare" and only two or three copies are known to have survived.
Once signed to EMI's progressive imprint Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, Spectrum went into the studio to make their first official recordings under producer Howard Gable, who had worked with The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
. They had a #1 Australian hit with their first single, "I'll Be Gone", which has become one of the most enduring Australian rock songs of that era. The B-side, "Launching Place Part Two" was written to promote a music festival. They released their debut LP Spectrum Part One in late 1970 but Rudd would not allow their hit single to appear on the album. Drummer Kennedy left just after it was recorded and was replaced by Ray Arnott (ex-Cam-Pact, Company Caine).
Ross Wilson, vocalist and guitarist, had been a founding member of The Party Machine with Rudd, they were later both members of Sons of the Vegetal Mother, Wilson formed Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
as a side-project while Rudd went on to form Spectrum. During their time in 'Vegetals' Rudd had started working on "I'll Be Gone" and Wilson approved of the song, "That's it, that's the one". Daddy Cool and Spectrum often toured together in their early years. Rudd described the development of the song:
Although recorded in August 1970 the song was not released until January 1971 due to the 1970 radio ban
1970 radio ban
The Australian 1970 Radio Ban or 1970 Record Ban was a "pay for play" dispute in the local music industry that lasted from May till October...
, which was a dispute between radio stations and major record labels over payments for songs being broadcast. Chris Löfvén went on to direct the video for Daddy Cool's debut single "Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock (song)
"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a record ten weeks. "Eagle Rock"...
" which also peaked at #1 later in 1971. The Launching Place Festival was a minor festival held on 31 December 1970 at Launching Place
Launching Place, Victoria
Launching Place is a town in Victoria, Australia, 54 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
60 km east of Melbourne, other acts included Wendy Saddington
Wendy Saddington
Wendy June Saddington is an Australian blues / soul / jazz singer and was in the bands Chain, Copperwine and the Wendy Saddington Band. She wrote for teen pop newspaper Go-Set from September 1969 – September 1970 as an agony aunt in her weekly "Takes Care of Business" column and as a...
, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian pop and rock group dating from the mid-sixties. The group enjoyed huge success in the mid-1960s, but split in 1967. They re-emerged in the early seventies to become one of the most popular Australian hard-rock bands of the period...
, Healing Force and King Harvest. Spectrum recorded "Launching Place Part One" and "Launching Place Part Two" to promote the festival.
Cover versions
Several cover versions of "I'll Be Gone" have been recorded by artists including Colleen HewettColleen Hewett
Colleen Hewett is an Australian actress and popular singer. She is perhaps best known to international audiences for her 1984 guest role in the television series Prisoner as Sheila Brady.-Pop singer:...
, Margret RoadKnight
Margret RoadKnight
Margret RoadKnight is an Australian singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, she has sung in a wide variety of styles including blues, jazz, gospel, and folk....
and Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
. The latter was released, along with B-side "Launching Place Part Two", on their 1974 LP The Good Earth
The Good Earth (Manfred Mann's Earth Band album)
The Good Earth is an album released in 1974 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.Track 1 was originally done by Gary Wright on his second solo-album, while tracks 2 and 3 are originally by Australian progressive rock band Spectrum....
.
In 1984 Australian Country Music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer John Williamson
John Williamson
John Williamson is the name of:* Jack Williamson , American science fiction writer* John H. Williamson , American, North Carolina politician and newspaper publisher* John N. Williamson , American, U.S...
paid tribute to the song by recording his own version, a version which kept the originality but also suited his own brand of country music. Palladium
Palladium (Australian band)
Palladium was an Australian band from Brisbane that was active from 1997 to 2003. The band consisted of members Chris Chalk , Andrew Morris , Justin Sykes and Brant Ward ....
recorded a version for the film Dirty Deeds
Dirty Deeds (2002 film)
Dirty Deeds is a 2002 film shot in Australia. It was directed by noted fringe director David Caesar and stars Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, Sam Neill, Sam Worthington and John Goodman and produced by Nine Films and Television, the film and television production arm of the Nine Network, owned by PBL...
.
John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew
John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew
John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew is an Australian folk group formed in Adelaide in 2005. The band's name is taken from a line in Henry Lawson's poem "Knocking Around". Since it was founded a number of Australian musicians have been involved...
covered the song on their 2008 album Behind the Lines
Behind the Lines (John Schumann album)
Behind the Lines is the second album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew.It consists almost entirely of cover songs and musical renditions of poems...
.
Legacy
In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
, as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "I'll Be Gone" as one of the Top 30 Australian songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time. Since its release in 1971, the song has become an FM Radio staple, as shown on the Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
Essential Countdown for 2006 where "I'll Be Gone" came in at #331.
Tracklisting
All tracks written by Mike RuddMike Rudd
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
according to APRA.
- "I'll Be Gone" - 3:28
- "Launching Place Part Two" - 3:02
Personnel
Spectrum members- Mark Kennedy — 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 ....
- Lee Neale — 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...
- Bill Putt — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Mike RuddMike RuddMike Rudd is a New Zealand born musician and composer who has been based in Australia since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock bands Spectrum and Ariel in the 1970s....
— vocals, 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...
, 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...
Recording details
- Producer — Howard Gable
Sources
- The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock And Pop - Ian McFarlane
- Who's Who of Australian Rock - Compiled by Chris Spencer,Zbig Nowara and Paul McHenry
- Noel McGrath's Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop - Noel McGrath
- Top 40 Research: 1956-1977 - Jim Barnes, Fred Dyer & Hank B. Facer
- Four Triple M
External links
- Mike Rudd & Bill Putt official website
- Allmusic's Spectrum [ biography]