Ooh Child - Marcia Hines
The extraordinary career of Marcia Hines really took off when she landed in Australia in 1970 to perform in 'Hair' followed by 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. Her debut pop single "Fire & Rain" made the Top 20, and she soon returned with "From the Inside", a classic which took Marcia to the Top 10. For the next six years it was the regular home for this much loved performer and the huge success was accompanied by three successive Queen of Pop awards. A top rating ABC TV variety series came next, and an album that spawned four hit singles, but strangely has never been released on compact disc. The title track "Ooh Child" not to be confused with the R&B/Gospel version, is a funky stomper from start to finish. It was not one of the songs issued for 7" release, and so lies dormant on the full length album. Classic Marcia hits are to be found on several collections including Marcia Greatest Hits 1975-1983 (a 2004 cd from Liberation) and "Diva" a 2001 release from Warner to coincide with her 30th anniversary in showbiz, and her biography with the same name. Marcia has continued to record new material into two more decades beyond the 70's and 80's. "Ooh Child" reminds us what a vibrant and funky singer Marcia is, and why her music remains fresh and delightful so many years later. This track is 30 years old and rare as...

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Restless Years -
Renee Geyer
Arguably the best vocalist Australia has ever produced, Renee began her recording career in the early 70's before hitting the big time in the middle of the decade with "It's a Man's World", her cover of the James Brown classic, and "Heading in the Right Direction", an Australian standard. Possessing an amazingly versatile voice, and passionate about r&b and soul music, at a time when Australia was lost in one hit wonders and disco, Renee made her first venture to America in 1976 to record perhaps her finest : "Moving Along" which was a critical and commercial success and is still available on the Mushroom label. Renee has recorded more than 20 albums of new material, 4 live albums and four compilations. In 2009 her acoustic treatment of her greatest hits was issued called "Reneesance" through Liberation music.
"The Restless Years" was the pop single recorded for the 'O-Ten' Network soap opera of the same name. Debuting in late 1977, the single climbed the chart in early 1978, becoming one of Renee's biggest hits. Never issued on CD, the song is noteworthy for the success it brought the singer, but also as it is a postcard from an era, a sex and sin soapie that bubbled along for 4 years and launching many careers. The single highlights the soaring vocal of its performer and is as rare as...

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ntiztmz1m3n

Hi to all who stumble across this new and humble blog. The idea behind "Rare as..." is to celebrate and share some rarities from the Australian pop universe. So as not to breach delicate copyright laws, and thereby risking annihilation, I intend to use this site as a haven for profiling the very best that this country has offered during the sensational seventies and the ecstatic eighties. I will offer posts and links for downloads that are not available commercially on disc; either from vinyl, or long out of print versions of classic Australiana.

The bite sized slices of pop are intended to be an economic way to access rare and obscure recordings without having to download entire albums or collections, in order to check out one song! I am taking the road less travelled in many ways with this site, as I intend to honour mostly the women of Australian pop, who generally receive less adulation and retrospection, than their male counterparts. Not a lot of meat and potatoes rock n roll here, but some dynamic performers nonetheless.

The music herein covers quite a mix of genres from straight pop to country, disco, r&b, rock, traditional popular music and some alternative figures that I reckon need a light shone on their immense talent.

I hope whomever takes this journey enjoys the sights & sounds from a fantastic era!