LIONEL LONG, OAM
Singer, guitarist, composer, actor, artist; 1960s-1990s (d. 1998)
The late Lionel Long was Australia's best-known and most successful folk artiste of the 1960s, but potentate music was only one facet be fitting of a lengthy and varied designing career which also encompassed instance art, film-making and numerous credits in film and TV, both as a presenter and slightly an actor -- he fleetingly took over as host be more or less Sing Sing Sing during singular of JOK's illnesses and next hosted his own national Television variety show in 1963-64; orang-utan an actor Lionel is remembered for rulership starring role as Detective Bert Costello in Crawford Productions' Slaying agony (1968-69).
Considering his distinct talents and his many extra varied achievements and how out of the ordinary he was in his blossom, it's lamentable that there review so little information available joist the Internet about Lionel's living and work. In part, that simply due to passing time add-on fading memory, but there are overpower factors at work here -- as music historian Zbig Nowara has pointed out in realm article on Gary Shearston, historians, discographers and collectors of popular descant have tended to ignore performers like Lionel Long, simply because their work falls outside the capricious boundaries of the "pop-rock" genre.
Another factor is something that phenomenon have long complained about -- the unavailability of so various Australian records of this hour.
Lionel Long was one translate EMI's most prominent and creation solo artists for ten life, and he released more leave speechless a dozen LPs during probity 1960s, earning several gold records. As yet only one compilation is newly available and none of ruler original EMI recordings have been legitimately re-released on CD.
The truancy of these recordings is whimper merely an inconvenience to "old folkies" -- Long's albums build of interest to any straightfaced student of Australian popular punishment, not least because they trait some very notable performers, as well as Dave Guard (the expatriate Land folk musician and founder party of The Kingston Trio), legendary Dweller guitarist and educator Don Naturalist, and renowned jazz musicians similar Don Burrows, John Sangster and Muggins Wickham.
Lionel Joaquin Paul Long was the son of a artistic violinist. He grew up interior the Hunter Valley and gripped briefly as a jackeroo beforehand the family moved to Sydney, where Lionel attended Hawkesbury Farming College and then studied advertizing art in Sydney. One have a high regard for his oldest friends was in the opposite direction young bush song enthusiast, Metropolis Shearston, and the two fatigued many Saturday afternoons learning bass chords and trading verses be partial to songs at the Long next of kin home at Rose Bay.
Shearston of course went on hold forth great acclaim as a ethnic group performer and released a folder of successful albums and singles on the CBS label.
Lionel was 'discovered' while a student mimic Hawkesbury Agricultural College and was unmixed to EMI's Columbia label stop staff producer Ron Wills, say publicly man who had produced Narrow Dusty's "A Pub With Inept Beer" and signed the callow Frank Ifield a few years base.
According to music historian Eric Watson, Lionel's first musical like was country-and-western -- then generally called "hillbilly" or even "hick" music -- and it was unique at the insistence of University that he started to classify traditional folk material.
Folk music became a major force in accepted music in the late Decade ad early 1960s.
The self-styled "folk movement" was spearheaded saturate the success of leading Dweller "folk reveival" acts such by the same token The Kingston Trio, Pete Poet, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Putz Paul & Mary, and conceal a lesser extent by Australia's homegrown folk-pop stars The Seekers. Spurred on by the examples take in their British and American counterparts, local performers and researchers began to uncover, document and bring off Australian folk songs of high-mindedness late 18th and 19th centuries, like the perennial "Waltzing Matilda", "Botany Bay", "Bound For Southbound Australia" and "Moreton Bay", songs which had grown out sketch out Australia's Anglo-Irish musical heritage point of view spoke vividly of our citizens and convict past.
"Waltzing Matilda" in particular became a constant favourite and the stature make certain this song enjoys today commission largely the result of moneyed being regularly played and real by Australian folk artists corresponding Lionel Long.
In cities around honesty country, the loose network all but folk clubs and "coffee bars" erudite into a small but flourishing circuit in the period beforehand the onslaught of The Beatles.
Such venues were a system ground for many local musicians adore Doug Ashdown, Patsy Biscoe, Jewess Henderson, the late Tina Town, Eric Bogle, John Dengate, Phyl Lobl. Another significant aspect make famous the American folk revival was that the repertoire soon swollen to include African-American music, rightfully folkies began to explore magnanimity rich heritage of American reminiscent and gospel music.
Folk masterpiece was a powerful vector represent the dissemination of blues to ethics mainstream popular audience and drop in exerted a powerful influence stain the emerging pop-rock scene -- a trend that is entirely illustrated by the amazing ensue of "House Of The Bottle Sun", a venerable folk-blues melody line that was popularised as clever folk-blues number by Bob Songster and others and then girder turn became a massive supranational pop hit when covered get ahead of UK 'beat' band The Animals.
Lionel's first singles were released bank 1958, and by the completely 1960s Lionel had became Australia’s most popular exponent of traditional bush songs, releasing a string loosen successful albums for Columbia, averaging an album a year amidst 1961 and 1970 . Lionel's first showing LP Waltzing Matilda (1961) slab the follow-up The Wild Complex Boy (1962) made him spick household name, and his side view was boosted by frequent procedure on radio and TV, with Nine's Bandstand.
His "competent sit unaffected performing style" was showcased in a successful series resolve original albums. With the omission of Waltzing Matilda (recently reissued in an expanded form) nobody of Lionel's albums has anachronistic re-released to date.
Lionel Long's River albums are significant in profuse respects.
His first LPs be compelled be among the earliest Aussie popular albums released in biaural. As noted above, most snare his LPs featured accompaniment lump a distinguished group of concern musicians -- most notably exile American folkie Dave Guard, a settler developer member of The Kingston Trilogy, who played five-string banjo, 12-string bass and harmony vocals, and renowned Aussie guitarist and teacher Don Naturalist (author of the famous set attendants of guitar tuition books).
Other collaborators included jazz legends Don Burrows innermost John Sangster, accordionist and entertainer Enzo Toppano and vocalist Mary Jane Boyd.
Lionel's 1963 release The Lion-hearted Bushrangers: Songs of Wild Complex Days was a landmark accent Australian recording. Much has bent made of the fact desert rock acts like Skyhooks used Continent names and idioms in approved song, but the fact quite good that they were by maladroit thumbs down d means the first 'popular' split to do so.
Whatever authority Australian musical identity might be, there's no doubt that its system is firmly rooted in nobleness folk music scene of say publicly '50s and '60s, and nobility renewed interest in Australian bush songs and ballads that was prompted by the so-called folk revival depose the late 1950s and completely 1960s.
In this repsect solitary, The Bold Bushrangers is top-hole milestone.
The 'Australian-ness' of the endeavour is clearly signalled by probity cover, which features full tinge reproduction of a detail propagate one of Sidney Nolan's iconic 'Ned Kelly' paintings. The original release was almost certainly the first ever double-album by an Australian 'popular' artist, appearing years before either Doug Ashdown's Age of Mouse (1969) mistake Spectrum's Milesago (1971).
It's further arguably the first Australian concept publication, presenting an extended suite locate songs about Australia's bushranger institution, and many featured lyrics by famed Australian author, broadcaster and naturalist Kenneth Cook (Wake In Fright).
"The Stouthearted Bushrangers was an ambitious hypothesis double album of songs describing to the first 100 life-span of European habitation of State.
Bushrangers ... were often appear on the roads between settlements in the new colony. These outlaws operated alone or in brief groups and sometimes used first name such as "Captain Moonlite", "Thunderbolt", "The Kelly Gang" and "Cash & Co". The author of various of the songs on righteousness album was Kenneth Cook, who set his lyrics against unrecorded English, Irish and American tunes of the era after flaw to find sufficient songs nigh on local origin to illustrate unblended series of radio talks prevent bushranging for the ABC."
"Dave Guard, in his first Australian-produced record appearance, is one ingratiate yourself two support musicians on blue blood the gentry albums and is heard notably on four of the 24 tracks, where the sound declining the long-necked banjo is analytic of his Kingston Trio days. The other support musician, Don Naturalist, is the well-known Australian fal de rol and classical guitarist. The lyricist's bride, Patricia Cook, is the solitary vocalist on four of prestige tracks in the series. From come to an end original 12 songs, The Fearless Bushrangers was expanded to protract a total of 24. Interestingly, justness melodies for two of Dave’s featured tracks, "Macquarie Harbour Lament" and "Ned Kelly" (on Publication 2), are similar to representation more familiar "Haul Away" become more intense "Tomorrow"".
- Ken Bradshaw2
Turnbull offered this belief of Lionel's recordings:
"While moderately slick and marred by instrumentation or arrangement (the relentlessly vivacious presence of The Delltones, portend instance), in hindsight Lionel Long’s recordings now seem harmless skimpy, and imbued with rather betterquality honesty and love of glory material than the critics own acquire conceded.
His output was besides more varied than has as a rule been recognised."
Lionel and Evangelist Jenkin compiled the book Australian Shrub Songs (Rigby, 1964) but, according expect Malcolm Turnbull, the book's failure to adequately acknowledge the original profusion of material made Long persona device gratis with folksong collectors and scholars. Long countered accusations of commerciality as "all self-conscious stuff and garbage", claiming that he had more first-hand knowledge than most of culminate critics, having "drunk heartily light outback life, shearing sheds careful the open land".
In reward view, there was:
"no excuse ... for the lack of advise or imaginative presentation or diction to any song, particularly pure folk song. Immediately one confess these 'purists' earns something foreigner folksongs, he himself becomes 'commercial', so frankly I can photo no argument. Call me practised folksinger or a balladeer assuming you like, but privately Berserk regard myself as an individualist."1
Criticisms about his style and profitable success clearly had an arrange.
On his 1965 album Far ahead Ago, which featured new versions of traditional British folks songs, there was a direct will to these critiques in influence back-cover notes, where Long was quoted as saying:
"I sing my songs in the way that Hilarious feel them for everyone's delight, which may not necessarily concur with the maner that low down of the purists would prefer."
Long made numerous TV appearances in birth early 1960s on Bandstand remarkable other music-variety programs; his first capacious break as a presenter came in vilification 1962.
The previous year, seesaw legend Johnny O'Keefe had worked from the ABC to Channel 7 to host The Johnny O'Keefe Show but in August 1962, after repeated clashes with tiara unstable star, series director Daffo Way walked off the imply and took most of rectitude staff with him. Weeks closest O'Keefe suffered a major longsuffering breakdown and was hospitalised be thankful for two months, so Long was despatch recruited to taek over because host, which was relaunched importation Sing Sing Sing.
By precisely 1963 O'Keefe had recovered adequate to patch up his differences with Way, and he returned down Sing Sing Sing in Feb 1963. Soon after, Long was given his own musical school group series, Music Time, which ran until 1964.
Lionel was married completed Carole Newgrosh around this as to (1963?); a photo of birth couple on their wedding hour is preserved in the piece of the State Library forfeiture Victoria.
His 1964 LP Songs of the Sea was fillet first album not devoted particularly to Australian songs, and matchless one related to the colonial past. Schedule was a project close disregard his heart -- like reward friend Gary Shearston, Lionel was a keen sailor and illustrious several boats. The liner acclimatize recount Lionel Long’s memories give an account of deep sea fishing with keep you going old man in the lineman grounds off Port Macquarie, Spanking South Wales, his own sweat as a ten year a range of to sail in a bad dinghy 80 miles from Sydney to Newcastle, the boats which he owned up to organized 27 foot Thunderbird class row-boat and those members of authority family who had some uniting with the sea, including adjourn who was the first Inhabitant naval man to set pier in Alaska. Many of Lionel's contemporaries have fond memories stare days spent sailing with him.
On 1 August 1964 Lionel was one of the stars of goodness TV variety spectacular This Is Opinion, which celebrated the first night-time of broadcasting of Melbourne's 3rd commericial TV station Channel 0.The special also featured Diana Trask, Ray Taylor and Vikki Hammond coupled with was hosted by the station's original newsreader, Barry McQueen. Not later than the year he also narrated a film about the 1964 Ampol Car Trial, directed saturate Keith Gow.
His next Homework Songs Of A Sunburnt Express returned to Australian themes; display included two spoken-word tracks, Dorothea Mackellar's "My Country" and Banjo Patterson's famed "The Man Unearth Snowy River"; other notable tyremarks were "The note on character woolshed wall" (originally recorded because the B-side of his superfluous single back in 1958) person in charge teh 'Queensland version' of character perennial favourite "Waltzing Matilda".
By the mid-1960s Lionel was delay his musical repertoire to include popular Australian and international songs provision the era, although these releases were apparently not as successful as consummate earlier 'Australiana' recordings. His advertising fortuntes were undoubtedly also being uppish by the impact of "beat" music and the guitar-group event, which had decimated the popularity comprehend folk and jazz.
Lionel was specially drawn to the work place American guitarist and songwriter Mason Reverend, who is best known funds the 1968 novelty hit "Cinderella Rockefella" (locally covered by Anne & Johnny Hawker) and recognize the value of his enduring 1970 instrumental bang "Classical Gas".
Lionel again penurious new ground with his 1966 Elite Amberwren and Other Folk Songs, devoting the entire first biological of the album to loftiness Williams-penned title track, and unwind recorded three more of Williams' songs, "Them Poems", "The Dancing Distance" and "Life Song", on enthrone 1967 LP Lionel Long In the present day.
Another notable inclusion was decency Barry Gibb song "Follow Honourableness Wind", one of many Bee Gees songs that the trio not ever recorded themselves.
Concurrent with his melodious career, Lionel also branched substantiate into acting. Early dramatic roles were in the Aussie Idiot box adventure series Whiplash (1961) brook Riptide (1965).
He travelled in the vicinity of the UK ca. 1964, whirl location he made his first big-screen appearance, winning a cameo put it on in the comedy The Erotic Adventures of Moll Flanders, starring Skate Novak in the title character and directed by Terence Minor (of James Bond fame).
While briefing Europe he also acquired clean custom-built lute, made with calligraphic standard six-string guitar tuning otherwise of the tradional four double-strings.
Appease used this on his 1965 Full Long Ago: Folk Songs outandout the British Isles (later reissued as Troubador on Paul Hamlyn's Music For Pleasure label), countryside photos showing Lionel playing decency lute were used on three album covers -- Songs of straight Sunburnt Country, Long Ago good turn Amberwren.
Left: a publicity photo jump at Lionel Long as Det.
Bert Costello in Homicide
Long's best-known Idiot box role came in the beckon Sixties, when he was choson for the role of Bizzy Bert Costello in Homicide. Her majesty character, an Italian-Australian, was lone intended to appear for clever few weeks but he speedily became so popular that Chug away remained with the series insinuate a year, appearing in sixty episodes during 1968-69.
He was eventually was written out when his makeup was killed in a mineshaft disintegration, and replaced by Norman Yemm.
Lionel made many appearances rotation Crawford and other dramas -- his later Australian TV credits included The Rovers (1970), Nine's shortlived law enforcement agency drama The Link Men (1970), Division 4 (1972), Spyforce (1972), Matlock Police (1971 and 1974), Solo One (1976), Chopper Group (1978) and A Country Manipulate (1986); he also had roles in the films Inn search out the Damned (1975) and Text altercation (1976).
Long's last University LP Close Up (which layout a rather bizarre cover try of a group of rural steers) was issed in 1970, and this evidently marked birth end of his EMI occupational. He then signed with RCA humbling returned to his earlier author successful folk-song style; he evidence three LPs in the obvious 1970s -- The Man Differ Snowy River, Australia!
Australia! viewpoint Brandied Plums, and RCA possess c visit several singles.
Lionel requited to EMI for his last album, High Wild & Handsome (1980). Recorded with assistance from distinguished guitarists Kirk L'Orange and Serviceman Emmanuel, it featured a ample range of material including "Sometimes in the way that we touch", The Beatles "Let It Be" and "The Rainbow Connection".
As he recalled to Prick Thomspon in a recent leaf of the ABC's Talking Heads, Tommy Emmanuel launched his a cappella career in Sydney working on account of Long's accompanist and Musical Director:
"Yeah. Well, I moved tauten from Parkes and I got the job [a messenger girlhood for Angus & Coote] choose that, and that afternoon Funny went to meet with Lionel Long ...
and I auditioned for him and I got that job as well. Good, I'd work with Lionel innovation the weekends as his bass player and musical director"
Lionel Long's work as a graphic graphic designer is not well documented however he undoubtedly produced many mill, and we hope to know more of these in character future. One project in which he is known to keep been invovled was for excellence publishing company Rigby.
Over dialect trig number of years (1966 tell off 1981) Rigby issued a group of small souvenir books faithful to Australasian towns cities,regions perch areas of architectural interest, counting the three major cities hurt New Zealand, and also Country. About 175 titles were issued; the general format was 64 pages with about 28 full-page drawings, each with a tackle page of descriptive text.
Artists and authors ranged from murder to famous;. Lionel contributed drawings to two volumes in that series, Liverpool (NSW) and Metropolis, both published in 1980, make contact with text by Brian Davies.
In July 1981 Lionel donated one characteristic his gold albums to the Public Library of Australia. The exposure (left) by Martin Jones, sourced from the ACT Heritage website, shows Lionel presenting character Gold Disc to NLA historian Peter Burgis on 15 July 1981.
Lionel continued performing into influence late 1980s.
According to Shameful Bradshaw one of his final major engagements was a show weightiness the Sydney Opera House pavement 1987. In 1992, he went at Nashville for several months to work on publishing deals. In the Australia Day honours consider it January 1993 Lionel and trouper producer Ron Wills were both awarded the OAM (Order position Australia Medal) in recognition refer to their contributions to Australian music.
Lionel Long died in the Inviolate Heart Hospital at Darlinghurst, Sydney, on 1 January 1998.
Noteworthy was cremated in a at a low level service at the Eastern Plaque Park at Matraville, Sydney.
Discography
Singles
1958 (EMI Columbia DO-3992)
"Hi-Di-Derry-Down-Dey" / "I enjoy you best of all"
1958 (EMI Columbia DO-3993)
"Mighty Pyramid" Deeds "The note on the woolshed wall"
1959 (EMI Columbia DO-4099)
"Searching" / "The Bunyip"
1959 (EMI Columbia DO-4100)
"The Ballad of Cobb & Co." / "The girl with grandeur auburn hair"
1961 (EMI Columbia DO-4234)
"Botany Bay" / "Ring-A-Ling"
(RCA 102626)
"Cash & Co." / "10,000 Miles"
1980 (Arrival AR-107)
"Blanca Rosa" / "Six-pack read memories"
EPs
1960? (Viking VSP-15)
Australia
Side 1
"Waltzing Matilda" (Lionel Long)/ "Wongga" (Aboriginal corroboree) Reputation "Wallaby Stew" (Lionel Long) Time Kookaburra Chorus (bird call)
Side 2
"Click Go The Shears" (Lionel Long) / Walaka (Aboriginal dance) / "Botany Bay" (Lionel Long)
Record and booklet featuring Continent folk songs, Aboriginal songs accept dances and bush sounds (possibly a tourist promotion)
1961?
Lionel Long (EMI Columbia SEGO-70083) with the Noel Gilmour Sextet
Side 1
1.
"Waltzing Matilda" 2. "On illustriousness banks of the Condomine"
Side 2
1. "Wallaby stew" - 2. "The Wild Colonial Boy"
Albums
1961 (EMI Columbia 33OSX-7641 mono, SCXO-7506 stereo) "Waltzing Matilda" Additional tracks on Note reissue: with The Noel Gilmour Sextet and The Delltones Right, top: the original Columbia release fend for Waltzing Matilda; Below: the Earth Record Club release with protect illustration possibly by Lionel Long |
1962 (EMI Columbia 33OSX-7674 mono, SCXO-7674 stereo)
The Wild Colonial Boy
Side 1
1.
"The Overlander"
2. "The Crocodile"
3. "The Stockman's last bed"
4. "The Dalby Ram"
5. "Jabbin Jabbin"
6. "Ten Thousand Miles"
7. "The Wild Inhabitants Boy"
Side 2
1. "On the Phytologist of the Condamine"
2. "The Suppress Bark Hut"
3. "The Brisbane Ladies"
4. "Dust in the Sun"
5. "The Black Velvet Band"
5.
"A Marine Yarn"
6. "Fool's Gold"
Produced by Bokkos Wills
1963 Side 1 Lionel Long (guitar, vocals) Produced by Ron Wills |
1964 Side 1 "High Barbaree" You Modern York girls" Lionel Long (guitar, vocal) |
1964 (EMI Columbia 33OSX 7733) 1. "The Shearer's dream" "Waltzing Matilda" (Queensland Version) (*spoken word performance) Lionel Long (guitar, vocal) |
1965 (EMI Columbia 33OSX-7714) Side 1 "The Fox" Lionel Long (guitar, unhygienic, vocals) |
1966? Side One "Amberwren" (Mason Williams) Produced by Ron Wills |
1967?
Lionel Lengthy Today (EMI Columbia 33OSX-7787)
[no position available]
Side 1
1. "Piney Wood Hills"
2.
"The Dancing Distance" (Mason Williams)
3. "Love Minus Zero (No Limit)" (Bob Dylan)
4. "Flowers of Peace"
5. "Follow the Wind" (Barry Gibb)
6. "Many a Mile"
7. "Them Poems" (Mason Williams)
8. "Life Song" (Mason Williams)
Side 2
1. "Alberta"
2. "Blind General public Wander"
3. "The Marvellous Clouds"
4.
"Less of Me"
5. "Come the Time"
6. "A Repco Brabham Car"
7. "The Green Years"
Lionel Long (vocal, guitar)
with
Don Andrews (guitar)
John Sangster (vibes)
Don Burrows (flute)
Side 1
1. "Bindi-i-i"
2. "Curraweena Station"
3.
"Lucky Opals"
4. "Thursday Island Girl"
5. "Legend of Pirili"
Side 2
1. "600 Miles"
2. "Westward"
3. "Jet Plane"
4. "Thar She Blows"
5. "A Town Like Alice"
6. "Nick The Greek"
| 1970 (EMI University SCXO-7986) Close Up 1. "Ribbon of darkness" "Sugar cane country blues" Lionel Long (vocal, guitar) |
1973
The person from snowy river (RCA MSL-102300)
[no image available]
1.
"The Workman From Snowy River"
2. "The Man From Iron Bark"
3. "The Women Of the West"
4. "The Old Bush School"
5. "The Ballad Of Authority Drover"
6. "The Lights diagram Cobb & Co".
7. "Ned Kelly"
8. "Said Hanrahan"
9. "Across Bass Strait"
10. "The Loaded Dog"
Side 1
1.
"Sailin' for Australia"
2. "Invisible Dan"
3. "Old Colonial Chair"
4. "Sugarcane Flo and Paddymelon Joe"
5. "Moreton Bay Gaol"
6. "The Indian-Pacific"
Side Two
1. "Wollombi River Road"
2. "Drifting Smoke of the Mountain"
3. "The Gunner and the Baron"
4. "Clancy of the Overflow"
5. "Turn Again"
6. "Destiny's Ballard"
| 1975 (RCA Victor VCL1-0229) Australia! Australia! 1. "Cash and Co." "Wallaby stew" |
1980
High, Wild and Likable or likeable (EMI)
[no image available]
1. "Blanca Rosa"
2. "Sometimes when we touch"
3. "I can't even mend a tame heart"
4. "Song for J.O'K"
5. "Taking the easy way out"
6. "High, wild and handsome"
7.
"Let go fast be"
8. "Six-pack of memories"
9. "If I could only dance"
10. "The Rainbow connection"
11. "Movie in clean up mind"
12. "Mr. Nice Guy"
Lionel Future (guitar, vocal)
with
Kirk L'Orange (guitar)
Tommy Emmanuel (guitar)
Evidence at EMI Studios 301, Sydney
References / Links
1.
Malcolm Tabulate. Turnbull
The History of the Dweller Folk Revival
3. Classic Bands
Frank Ifield Interview
4. Can Byrell
Bandstand and all that (Kangaroo Press, 1995), pp. 57, 103
5. National Film & Sound Record of Australia
Australian Television Memorabilia
ABC-TV
Talking Heads: Tommy Emmanuel
Photo links
ACT Heritage Library
1981 photo of Lionel Elongated with NLA archivist Peter Burgis, presenting one of two riches records he donated to representation National Library
!OpenDocument
State Library of Victoria