Jo Jo ZEP & THE FALCON

Rip It Up, Issue 36, 1 July 1980, Page 6

Jo Jo ZEP & THE FALCON

Murray Cammick

By mid last year, though a top live act, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons had two hit-less albums behind them and ahead of them, a few more laps around the Aussie pub circuit. But the sessions that produced Screaming Targets, their first album for Mushroom Records, changed the situation. The album was a major chart success in Australia, as were the recording's two singles “Hit and Run" and “Shape I'm In". The final stop for the Falcons, on a four week world tour to promote Screaming Targets, is Auckland’s Mainstreet, August 4. Earlier stops include Montreux Festival, London’s The Venue, Amsterdam and major USA cities. When Elvis Costello played Sweetwaters, one of the covers he performed was “So Young", a Zep' and Fs’ song from preMushroom days. (The song is available in NZ on a collection of early material entitled, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons (on Rockburgh Records) and on the flip of the new single, there’s a rerecording of "So Young" with producer Pete Solley). Though Costello has recorded the song, first to release a cover of the song is Scotland’s own, Frankie “DarlirV" Miller.

the band were going to open tor Costello on a 30 day UK tour but Elvis cancelled his tour, and when Rip It Up spoke to Falcon’s frontman, Joe Camilleri, they had been back on Aussie roads for two days after several months off the circuit. Their new album Hats Off Step Lively was completed and Joe had been producing the Dots label mates fronted by Paul Kelly, writer of "Only The Lonely Hearted” on Screaming Targets and recording 45s for his own record label, Mighty Records. Rather than talking about the band, their albums or the imminent NZ concert, the singer/saxist was more interested in chatting about six fresh-from-the-factory, pic sleeved Mighty singles. About Mighty Joe explains, "It’s for my entertainment that’s what my management keeps saying. After being a record collector and record buyer, to have your own little label is like a dream come true.”

Camilleri was producer on all six singles and recording took place at Melbourne's Armstrongs Studio, where LRB and Split Enz record. (Sometimes using two tracks, sometimes all 24, depending on the artist.) Joe also did the pic sleeve concepts, found the money ($12,000) and chose to ‘market’ six at once, to gain impact. Joe is into handshake deals:

“I definitely don’t want the label restricted by having an act under its belt. There’s a lot majors and independents miss cos they’re trying to build up a label.” The first six Mighty 45s feature the Honeydrippers (soul band named after Zep stage fav), Joey Vincent, Gary Young (some

rockabilly from the Falcon's drummer), the Creatures, Gulliver Smith and Highrise Hilton and the Skyscrapers. What's next? "I'm releasing 12 artists on six records. We've already recorded three." Leaving Joe’s hobby behind, it was time to talk about the band’s recordings, in particular Screaming Targets, an album they recorded a year ago with ex-Stiff producer Peter Solley. Was the album a breakthrough? “Yeah, when you’re selling 5,000 and all of a sudden you sell 30,000 in 10 weeks it's another stumble forward.”

Was'lt a turning point for the band musically? "Not really. It's something. that just hit with the audience. The early recordings never made it with the publicllttpSßiWßHWßjHßMjM “But it was a lot harder then.. There was no Australian ■ music getting airplay. Before the album we'd only, had a large audience' live." "We'd been playing the music for a while before recording the album, so the change had already happened in the music.” Was producer Solley important? “Yeah, of course he was he did a great job. But we had a lot of arguments. I’m more ethnic, down to earth, where as he says, it has to be done certain waysrj«QHJB4MBpPI Always a black music fan, Camilleri used to ‘dig’ the; soul greats. The Falcons still close with Otis Redding's "Security". , “I; love Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett recordings. It must have been great to see those tximdsiSlßMßßwßßMllffllMlM Now, Camilleri is more interested in Jamaican music. In the last two.years he has collected 200 or so albums, and when he speaks of their, London visit he adds:JßlHHl "I’ve only got two days to see as many reggae bands as possible. I’m knocked out that I’ve got the opportunity to go and play. It's [every/Australian’s dream to'play in the UK or the United States." Like R&B : in the: sixties, Falcons music is a musical pile-up. One fine band hits crazy soul fan/singer, collides with reggae and comes out of the intersection in fine shape. Their sound is unique, yet the influences are apparent. In that strange white/black area of music' termed R&B, this band [leads; the way, leaving contenders like . Southside Johnny "or sixties R&B revival bands, far behindMßfepßl Live, Joe . Camilleri’s fan-like love. of music makes an evening an experience. They’ve got great material of their own, even ; Elvis plays it yet on stage, Joe saysn&MSMPVMH "This :is for Michael Roberts (Falcon's manager),'he thinks this is the pits I think it’s the.greatest!idM|HttM(j|^HllMH| "Route 66”. Don’t miss them live, the band contributes as much as Joe does so it's nuite a team