Brian Cadd is the 31st artist to get behind Support Act’s Roadies Fund through the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA)’s Desk Tape Series.
After emerging in the 1960s with The Groop and Axiom, Brian Cadd’s multi-platinum solo path saw him surrounded by top-notch players. This was the case of this ARCA tape when Cadd put incredible musicians around him when he returned from his home base in America for a four-week run in Australia.
Like the other dates, the Sundowner was a sell-out.
“It was so packed and rocked like hell... the band was incredible. Pub rock was at its epicentre, and people of that generation knew one thing – go to a pub and rock!”
Brian Cadd
“As the tape shows, all those shows were up-vibe,” adds Andy Rayson, who did the sound for the Brian Cadd Band’s run in between stints with Australian Crawl and The Divinyls.
“The crowd was mostly in their 20s and 30s, all reactive, laughing, clapping and dancing.The Sundowner was a good sounding room, with a straw roof and probably held about 500.”
Brett Allen, who did the stage on the tour, points out “Brian was a star, so he could afford to hire the best, and this band was phenomenal. “Everybody went ‘wow’ when the tour started, but they got more red-hot with each show.”
Many songs on Brian Cadd Band Live At The Sundowner Geelong 1982 came from his most recent album at the time, No Stone Unturned. It was a guitar-heavy record, with some wonderfully unorthodox and inventive playing from Little River Band’s Steve Housden, and Cadd’s use of sequencing for the first time.
“My live show then was a pretty wondrous time for me. So many new musical things were happening in my life.”
One aspect of the ARCA live tape is that Cadd’s earlier hits as “A Little Ray Of Sunshine”, “Keep On Rockin;”,“Ginger Man” and “Let Go” remain powerful.
Add recalls, “at a reception on the Gold Coast, a woman came up to me and said, I want to tell you how important ‘A Little Ray’ is to me. I played it at my daughter’s funeral. I’m pretty verbose but that was a rare time when I was lost for speech.”
Cadd's work has been recorded by Joe Cocker, The Pointer Sisters, Ringo Starr, Bonnie Tyler, Glenn Campbell, Charlie Daniels, Dobie Gray, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Little River Band, Yvonne Elliman and many more.
“Baby Let Go”, a beautiful country ballad (it’s on the ARCA tape, as is the excellent “White On White Eldorado”) has been covered 68 times. It went to #1 in South Africa twice, in the Swahili language.
In 1997 he moved back to Australia, his career continuing with sell-out tours, being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame both in 2007, and in 2018 awarded an Order of Australia (AM), which he described as an “amazingly different kind of honour”.
"Brian Cadd Band Live At The Sundowner Hotel Geelong March 1982"
BAND
Brian Cadd – vocals, keyboards
Sam See – guitar
Jeremy Allsop – bass
Tony Naylor – guitar
Trevor Courtney – drums
Roger McLaughlin – cameo bass
ROAD CREW
Andy Rayson (sound)
Michael Eastick (lights)
Brett Allen (stage)
TRACKS
Goodtime People
Baby Let Go
It's Gotta Be Real To Me
Off The Hook
For The Love Of A Woman
C'est La Vie
Hits Medley: Alvin Purple, Little Ray of Sunshine, Ginger Man
White On White Eldorado
Keep On Rockin'
Momma Don't Dance
Keep On Rockin' (reprise / band intro)
The Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA)’s Desk Tape Series was created by ARCA to raise funds to provide financial, health, counselling and well-being services for roadies and crew in crisis.
The recordings are made by a production member – in this case sound engineer Andy Rayson – and released on ARCA’s Black Box Records through MGM Distribution and on all major streaming services.
Thanks to Brian Cadd and Greg Noakes for the photos, Nprint for the artwork, Phil Dracoulis for the mastering, and especially the Brian Cadd Band for their support of roadies and crew in crisis. Incredible.
The "BRIAN CADD Band LIVE at the Sundowner, Geelong 1982" live tape and all the ARCA Desk Tape Series recordings are available through Black Box Records - ARCA (australianroadcrew.com.au) and the following: https://ffm.to/liveatthesundowner