From: fierro@uts.amdahl.com (Doug Fierro)
Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll.acdc
Subject: more info on Bon Scott pre-AC/DC
Date: 17 Apr 92 18:33:48 GMT
Reply-To: fierro@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (Doug Fierro)
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

I ran across a CD recently titled "Bon Scott- The early Years 1968-1972" and
of course I had to buy it.  This is a CD, not vinyl (more info about it below).

  I don't know how many of you hear stuff from The Valentines, Bon Scott's 
first big band in Australia, but it sounds NOTHING like AC/DC.  The music
is categorized as "bubble-gum" 60s music, which is right about on mark.
Stumbling across the music on this CD is like digging up old pictures of
your parents wearing hideous clothing when they were younger.  The music
from Fraternity is better though. 

 The CD contains two written pieces, the second posted by Steve Rhoads 
here a while ago.  It also has an interview of Bon Scott by David Day from 
5KA in Adelaide, Australia (any Oz natives know if that station still
exists?); Bon was pretty drunk and it wasn't a long interview anyway.

  Here are the tracks:

  1) To Know You Is To Love You [Spector]
  2) She Said [Young] (George Young of Easybeat, older bro' of Angus & Malcolm)
  3) Everyday I Have To Cry [Alexander]
  4) I Can't Dance With You [Marriott-Lane]
  5) Peculiar Hole In The Sky [Vanda-Young]
  6) Love Makes Sweet Music [Ayers]
  7) I Can Hear The Raindrops [Lovegrove-Ward]
  8) Why Me? [Lovegrove-Ward]
  9) Sooky Sooky [D. Covey]
  10) Getting Better [Scott-Milsom]
  11) Ebeneezer [Price-Taylor]
  12) Hoochie Coochie Billy [Lovegrove-Ward-Milsom]
  13) My Old Man's A Groovy Man [Vanda-Young]
  14) Nick Nack Paddy Wack [Lovegrove-Scott-Junko-Cooksey-Beach-Milsom]
  15) Julliette [Milsom-Ward-Scott]
  16) Annabelle [Jurd-Bisset]
  17) Welfare Boogie [Fraternity]
  18) Hemming's Farm [Fraternity]
  19) Sommerville R.I.P. [Howe-See]
  20) Getting Off [Jurd]
  21) If You Got It [Fraternity]
  22) Seasons Of Change [Robinson-Johns]
  23) interview with David Day of 5Ka in Adelaide

Bon Scott The Early Years 1968-1972
  Tracks 1-15 The Valentines 1967-1970
  Tracks 16-22 Fraternity 1970-1972
  Tracks 1-9 produced by Martin Clarke
  Tracks 10-22 produced by Image Records & Hamish Henry
  Original Sound Recordings made by Clarion Records/Raven Records (Australia)
  Copyright 1988 See-For-Miles Records LTD.
  SEE CD247
  (I don't know if the label is owned by Sam See, a former member of 
   Fraternity.  I wouldn't put it past someone to cash in on their 
   relationship w/ Bon though)

CD insert:

  Valentines  1967-1970
    Bon Scott- Vocals
    Vince Lovegrove- Vocals
    John Cooksey- Bass
    Wyn Milsom- Lead Guitar
    Ted Ward- Rythym Guitar
    Doug Lavery- Drums*
    (* replaced by Paddy Beach, 1969)

  Fraternity 1971-73
  Bon Scott- Vocals
  Bruce Howe- Bass
  Mick Jurd- Lead Guitar
  John Bisset- Keyboards
  John Freeman- Drums
  'Uncle' John Ayres- Harmonica
  Sam See- Slide Guitar, Piano


 Ask the average Australian to name some famous people who have come from
Perth and the chances are that they'll name either sports stars or business
tycoons.  Yet one of Perth's adopted sons was for a while in the late '70s
every bit as much a crowd puller as those sports stars.  As lead singer of
AC/DC Bon Scott would regularly perform to thousands of people each night
in the stadiums and concert halls of America and Europe.  But it's a long
way to the top in the world of rock and roll and Bon Scott's road to the
top began with the Perth band the Valentines in 1966.

  The Valentines got together around the middle of 1966.  Their initial
linup was Bon Scott and Vince Lovegrove sharing vocal duties, Ted Ward
on rythym guitar, Bruce Abbott on bass guitar, Wyn Milson on lead guitar,
and drummer Warrick Findlay.  In Scott and Lovegrove they had two dynamic
focal points and within just weeks of their live debut they had crowds
flocking to their shows at such venues as Canterbury Court and the 
Swanbourne Surf Livesaving Club (affectionately known as the Swanbourne
Stomp).

  It didn't take long for their popularity to come to the notice of Martin
Clarke who operated Perth's only record label in the 1960's, Clarion.  The
Valentines were duly signed to Clarion in March 1967 and released their
first single a couple of months later, still less than a year since they
formed.  That single comprised of Arthur Alexander's "Everyday I Have To
Cry" backed with "I Can't Dance With You", a song from one of England's
fastest rising groups of the time, the Small Faces.  The record, naturally
enough, sold very well in Perth, reaching the Top 5.

  Single No.2 was released in August 1967.  The top side was a Stevie
Wright/George Young (Easybeats) composition entitled "She Said".  Although
similar in some ways to areas that the Beatles were then exploring, the 
single failed to capture the record buying public's imagination and only
made the lower end of the Perth charts.

  Nevertheless the 3rd single for Clarion was released in February 1968.
"I Can Hear The Raindrops" and "Why Me?" were both Lovegrove/Ward 
compositions.  Promoted as a double A side release the record made number
30 on the Perth charts but once again failed to chart elsewhere.

  Despite a report in April 1968 that the Valentines were to join the
Sunshine label, this move never eventuated.  Their fourth and final single
for Clarion was released some three months later, and once again it was a
composition from the Easybeats camp.  "Peculiar Hole In The Sky" was written
by Harry Vanda and George Young and produced on Martin Clarke's behalf by
Paul Aulton.  The flip side "Love Makes Sweet Music" was origially the only
single ever released by avant-guarde British The Soft Machine.  It was
brought to the Valentine's attention by Stan Rofe, the doyed of Melbourne
disk jockeys in the latter half of the 1960's.

  Represented on this disc are those four singles as well as a previously
unreleased track, "Sooky, Sooky".  In 1970 they broke up.  After changes
in line-up Bon went on to Fraternity and later to AC/DC.  Vince worked
as a writer for pop music weekly before moving on to become a contributor
to a current affairs television programme.  More recently he was manager
of the Divinyls before parting company with them in 1986.

  In their heyday the Valentines were dismissed as being blatantly
"Bubblegum", a label they were quick to dismiss.  Listen to this album,
judge for yourselves.  Hopefully the next time someone metions the word
Valentine you won't think of February 14th but you will think of some
fine music from the late 1960's [sic].

     Alan Mannings

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                                                     Doug Fierro
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