Hi, just wondering if anybody has the Martin Plaza - Plaza Suite CD. I've been looking for it on ebay for awile, and it doesn't show up anymore. I can organise swap as I have plenty of Australian stuff. Just to clarify and to avoid any misunderstandings, I would love to get this in lossless format please. Many thanks.

Is this the one with 'Concrete & Clay'? I remember the cassette of it was in all the record store bargain bins in the late 80's....Just like Tim's 'Big Canoe'.

Yep, that's right, "concrete and clay", and the second single, "Best foot forward". I manage to get "Big Canoe" from Tin Finn when it was issued on the EMI Legendary Master's label in 1990. It still seems very easy to pick up second hand, as it was also re-issued again on the EMI Best Value range in 1996, and again in 2000. With Martin Plaza, there was a very limited release only back in 1986, in other words, a very short CD run. Now it is just impossible to find, like Koo De Tah's 1985 album, but I was lucky enough to have a friend who got that off a private tracker site. But then, I would just like it if the record companies would release these CDs. I could then just go and buy the albums, and the artist could get their income. Unfortunately, until that happens, swapping and sharing seems to be the only way of getting these rare gems.

Alot of these 80s Oz music CD's are so hard to get these days, I'm referring to the ones that haven't been re-issued. My treasure gem is Electric Pandas' CD, which I bought new in a bargain bin on the Gold Coast for $5 in the mid 90's. It was issued in 1993, but I have never seen another copy anywhere. Sunnboys 1989 CD "Wildcat" I picked up recently at a 2nd hand store for $3 (as new cond.) But it's rare! I bought S. O'Neill's CD "Foreign Affairs" CD brand new just this week from a local music shop. It was old stock though, and only one copy left at $20. I've been after "Edge of Winter" on CD or LP for years, but no luck. Kids In The Kitchen's & Wa Wa Nee's debut, any of the 3 Dragon CD's from '84/'86/'89 - hard to find & if you do - big bucks.. I can't understand why they can't re-issue this stuff, things like Machinations Big Music for example...sorry for the long story.

That's fine, sharing these stories is what were here fore, (well I would like to think) :). Are you after the Dragon CDs? I have the 84 and the 89 albums, and I also have Mi-Sex's first three albums on CD, released through Sony and the Rainbow label back in 1990.

Just emphasising that the "Cuts from the tough times" has the exact "Body and the Beat" album on it, with a few tracks tacked on the start and the end, this is what I've got. I did have the original W Germany made "body and the beat" before I gave it to one of my brothers, whose lost it long ago, but that's alright, I'm pretty happy with my "Cuts from the Tough times". Even has better sound and EQ'ing

Hi Mark, thanks for the reply. I was just using the Dragon CD's as an example. I have B & The Beat on LP, I bought Bondi Road off ebay a few months ago for $30 (which in hindsight was a bargain) and the first cd that I ever bought was in Jan. '87 and that was "Dreams Of.." which fortunatley I still have. I know that W.German made B & the Beat is worth a mint these days. I also bought Mi-Sex "Shangheid" CD last month 2nd hand for $10. Buying it thinking that I would probably pick up a bit of ebay profit on it, but have decided to keep it instead, as it's a good CD. I am fastidious in regards to collecting 80's Made in Japan CD's. Recently I bought "Man of Colours" for $5, original issue made in Japan and sold my 1992 Tru-ism reissue on ebay for $18. It's all fun and games! The best story I know of is a mate of mine bought Koo De Tah's CD for next to nothing and sold it on ebay for $430. Crazy

It looks like we are all in the same boat. I'm always on the look out for Aussie artist CD's from the 70's and 80's. I'm glad that I snapped up all the Sherbet CD'S before Festival records was sold to Warners Music. Sorry, I don't have 'Plaza Suite'.

Now Ulta-Mixes, that is very rare on CD. Even the LP is very difficult to find!

Yep, you are lucky, because when warner does re-issue stuff, they pretty much butcher it up. I bought all the Splitenz CDs back in the early 90s, "Dizzythma", "Frenzy", "True Colours", "Corroboree", "Time and Tide", "Conflicting Emotions", and "See ya Round". I though I had all their albums on CD.

I then went on a mad frenzy buying up heaps of vinyl from about 1993 to 1998, when everybody else was getting rid of it. On the way I managed to get all the K-Tel comps like "Whopper", "Explosive Hit's 75" and so on. Anyway, I also got "Ripper '76", and when going down the track list I notice there was a track from splitenz, "Last night".

I thought nothing of it at the time, and thought it might of been some very first crappy hit from the group. Eventually I was going to push all my vinyls to CDs, but never having the time, I've only done about 5% of it.

Then over the last five years, as lossless music has become available through more channels, I've been able to completely reconstruct all these comps, mainly the ones from the 80s. When looking at "Ripper 76", I noticed I had all the tracks on CD, except from Splitenz. I then bought "Second Thoughts" from JB Hi Fi which apparently is now pressed on Warner. When listening to it, it was cranked in volume to the hilt, and nearly bled my ears. Wow, these labels know how to make a CD sound loud.

So in the end, if a label does reissue these CDs, then I always hope they DON'T turn it up. I bought all those Aussie Double CD Comps like, "Counting the Beat", "Live it up", and "What's my Scene". The volume levels and the EQ'ing on many of the tracks is simply HORRID! Sounded like Sony had some work experience kid mastering the CD's, it was torture.

Hi Matt

Would you be kind enough to do me a copy of the Electric Pandas CD, or if you can't maybe mp3's of the album?

Thankyou

[/qoute]

So in the end, if a label does reissue these CDs, then I always hope they DON'T turn it up. I bought all those Aussie Double CD Comps like, "Counting the Beat", "Live it up", and "What's my Scene". The volume levels and the EQ'ing on many of the tracks is simply HORRID! Sounded like Sony had some work experience kid mastering the CD's, it was torture.[/quote]

I don't know where all these tracks came from. But I supplied the guy who compiled the compilation with the track 'Fallin In Love' by Christie Allen. I sent him a lossless rip of the song from her 'Magic Rhythm' CD that I bought a long time ago.

Hi Mark, Just on a side note - I certainly agree with you about the poor and inconsistent quality on the Australian Pop Hits dbl. cd sets that have been released under 3 different titles since 2007. One song can be loud and then the next track quiet. If you listen carefully, it sounds like a lot of the "never before released on CD" tracks have been lifted from vinyl. Which, with the right equipment is not always a bad thing, but needs to be done properly. At least, though there was a lot of thought put into the track listings. Plenty of obscure stuff and then the more popular stuff just to keep the mix right.

I know this is really getting off topic here for a moment, but now you have me curious, about this "guy'. You don't have to tell his name, but just wondering was he a record company person, or what? I'm curious, because I remember when I left home many years ago, (2002), I pretty much went to full throttle with pursuing my dream, which was doing compilations for record companies, particularly like those of these three double CD sets.

It was completely impossible, people from the record industry were only reachable by answering services, and none of them would return my calls. I tried e-mailing, and even posting my letters, and some of my sample work to them. After two years of trying, the only phone call I got back out of the blue, was one from Warner, noting that I had to press a minimal amount of 10,000, I would have to pay all the expenses and copyrights, and someone from the label would still need to give the list of tracks I done, the okay. Then in 2004, EMI then did an almost identical replica of one of my sample comps, right down to the design, but with there boring tracks which were available on 500 other discs.

At the end of 2004, I came to the realisation that my dream of being in a label making compilations wasn't gonna happen. I guess it forced a re-evaluation of my goals, which in the end, cemented my eyes on the radio industry, as this is the place I want to be in the first place.

I know I can be perdantic at times as I absolutely loathe the mp3 format, or for that matter any other lossy format. These discs were mastered terribly, which is a shame considering as you noted, the track selections were great. I guess this guy, if not from the industry, must of had a number of contacts or friends, to have been able to do such a large project like that. It's just unfortunate that many of the tracks on the 70s comps like "On the Prowl", and "Get that Jive" were simply mastered from MP3. I know I bought "Get that Jive" especially to get Cheetah's first single, "Standing in the rain", only to be annoyed as hell to find out it was an mp3.

Just clarifying, I'm not at all jealous about this guy, but just wanted to say when one has Asperger's Syndrome, socialising is one of the most difficult things to do. In todays world it's know longer what you know, but who you know that get's you into the industry. I guess if I was called up to supply some of the tracks, without sounding effensive I felt I would of done a better job then this guy from Sony.

PS: Lee, I've sent you an e-mail about the electric panda's CD, I can help you there. :) :)

Mark, I have no doubt about your greatness. I got onto your radio station and tracked down your shows from a featured month and year and burnt them all onto disc. Great work. Cheers.

LOVE the Wa Wa Nee 'ULTA MIXES'. DO you have the actual cd Guru?

I have an extra copy of Koo De Tah on CD if anyone is interested. And I will sell it UNDER $350.00 for sure!!! LOL...

Jason
I do have that Wa Wa Nee CD, my brother gave it to me a few weeks ago. I just scanned it which is about the limits of my ability with technology - I wouldn't know how to do a copy.

You are VERY lucky to have the Wa Wa Nee cd Guru!!!

The 12"... to One On One is my ULTIMATE fav Wa Wa Nee treat as well as the 12"... to I Could Make You Love Me and the (New York Mix) of Sugar Free

I am seeing Paul Gray and his brother as 'Wa Wa Nee' support Pseudo Echo next Friday on Pseudo's 30th Anniversary show

I have the WaWaNee and Pseudo Echo... as well as a very rare "Dogs In Space" movie soundtrack