Doug Parkinson’s 1979 tape latest for Support Act’s Roadies Fund
A tape recorded at Perth nightclub Gobbles in 1979 by Doug Parkinson & The Southern Star Band is the 12th in the Desk Tape Series to raise funds for Support Act’s Roadies Fund.
The series, recorded by the acts’ road crews, was created by the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) to provide financial, health, counselling and wellbeing services for crews in crisis.
The tapes are released on ARCA’s Black Box Records through MGM Distribution and on all major streaming services.
The 16-song Live At Gobbles shows off some wonderful interplay between the musicians, and the astonishing array of songs, from originals, to those from Al Jarreau, Paul McCartney, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield, and Patti Austin.
Parkinson recalls the Gobbles show: “It was packed and the crowd was exuberant. At the time, The Southern Star Band had just come off on tours by Bob Marley, Genesis, the Four Tops and Randy Crawford, and were in the charts with a cover of The Spinners’ million selling ‘I’ll Be Around’.”
Of The Southern Star Band, he added:
“They were one of the best bands I’ve played with, and a little ahead of their time.
“Early on I realised if you surround yourself with people that you consider are better than you are, then you’ll develop as well. That’s always been my creed.”
Sadly, for technical reasons the Gobbles tape does not include Parkinson’s best known song, a 1969 cover of John Lennon’s ‘Dear Prudence’ from The Beatles’ White Album.
At the time, Parkinson’s band In Focus were one of the biggest live acts in Melbourne.
The one-time school prefect and sports champion who started out as a cadet at Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, had by then decided to focus on rock bands and music theatre.
A tour manager friend of his who was visiting London brought back a copy of White Album which had not yet been released in Australia.
“That album is still among my favourites of all time. It had great songs, but ‘Dear Prudence’ leaped out of the page for me,” Parkinson said.
“We started to play it at our shows and the crowds went crazy.”
However the A&R exec at his record label didn’t see its hit potential and refused to release it.
An argument ensued and the singer called his bluff by threatening to cancel their contract. To his horror, the exec agreed and Parkinson was left flabbergasted, and without a deal.
However he went around the corner to the offices of EMI, whose A&R executive Cliff Baxter loved it as soon as Parkinson played it to him.
“The next thing I knew I was driving around in my car and it came on the radio, and it was the biggest thrill.
“It became a top five hit. I was always grateful to that song because it kept me going through the ups and downs of my career.”