ROSS WILSON

COUNTRY & WILSON Cat# SV0360

Welcome to Country & Wilson, part three of the Ross Wilson trilogy. It's a series where Ross - an Australian music icon for four decades - explores his main musical influences.

His roots
His R&B collection, Go Bongo Go Wild!, had its obvious Daddy Cool connections. His double album, Now Listen!, was a rock and pop history, Ross's best-of. The hits, the rarities and some new tunes.

Country & Wilson is not so obvious. "I'm not trying to be a full time country artist," Ross says. "But there has been a country thread in my work over the years, from Come Back Again to Bed Of Nails. And I've always listened to country and been influenced by it. "I think all music is linked. There's country in blues, there's blues in country. It's all music. "When you listen to all three albums, I hope you reach the same conclusion I have - that the branches all grow on the same tree."

Three of the tracks on Country & Wilson were produced by Nash Chambers, Kasey's brother. "I saw the Chambers' family band, The Dead Ringer Band, at Tamworth five or six years ago and became friends with them," Ross explains. "Nash is now a great engineer and producer and I love his work. It was great to work with him."

The release of Country & Wilson comes after Ross's annual pilgrimage to Tamworth and just as he becomes an honorary Wiggle. He's "King Mondo" in their new animated DVD Space Dancing and The Wiggles do a new version of Ross's classic Eagle Rock. "I don't think it's possible to come closer to immortality than to be made an animated DVD dude," Ross says. "Next stop - The Simpsons Down Under 2."

But Country & Wilson is Ross's focus. "This is the most personal of any album I've ever done. There are real experiences in these songs." From failed love to the pitfalls of pop and the state of the nation. "Not just musically, but lyrically, I'd say this is the most Ross Wilson album I've ever made."

A new musical direction and an intensely personal album. Both kinds - Country & Wilson.

Ross Wilson In A Nutshell
Ross Wilson's hit song Come Back Again from the old Daddy Cool days could never be used to describe him. He's never been away!

1964 Ross formed The Pink Finks, a school boy R&B band with 13 year old Ross Hannaford. They recorded the classic Louie, Louie in the garage, which is believed to be the first independent Australian recording.

1966 Ross formed The Party Machine. The Victorian Vice Squad seized and burned the band's songbook, deemed to be obscene and seditious.

1970 Ross formed legendary band Daddy Cool.

1971 Daddy Cool released Eagle Rock, Australia's all time number one rock anthem which set new sales records, had an impact on the US scene and in 2001 was voted number two all time Australian favourite song by APRA.

1974 - 1976 Ross produced hit records for Skyhooks, The Sports, Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons and other top Australian acts.

1977 Ross formed Mondo Rock and recorded classics such as Chemistry, Cool World, State of The Heart and Come Said The Boy.

Ross has written hits ranging from Eagle Rock to Touch of Paradise, for artists such as Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham, Renee Geyer, You Am I, DEF-FX, Lee Kernaghan and The Salvation Army Band. He continues to reinvent himself and has hits with albums in the genres of rock, pop, blues, soul, jazz and now country. The only one he hasn't tackled is punk!

Ross Wilson is undoubtedly an icon in our industry.

COUNTRY & WILSON
TRACK-BY-TRACK

SOME OF THESE BLUES
"The tears I cried have opened up my eyes"
Some Of These Blues is about the fact that every relationship has different threads and everyone has their own baggage. This one has a happy ending, because Tania and I got together and eventually married.

NOTHIN'S RIGHT NOTHIN'S WRONG
"When you feel like a guest and you're in your own home"
This is about a bad relationship I had that went on for a long time. It's all about failed love affairs and learning lessons. Christmas Card on the Go Bongo album was inspired by the same relationship. It's about lying and cheating, but there's a resolution when you realise what's important.

IT MATTERS TO ME
"It matters to me, it just don't matter all the time"
I wrote this one with Paul Kelly. It tells the tale of a relationship from the guy's perspective, when he thinks it has run its course.

UNDER THE WAVES (AND FAR AWAY)
"I've found her!"
This is a song about my dad, Ron, and his adventure romance, searching for the wreck of the Lochard at Port Campbell. The Lochard went down in the 1800s and only a cabin boy and the daughter of the ship's doctor survived. The boat was lost for 80 years. A mate of dad's, Stan McPhee, became obsessed with finding the wreck and convinced dad and another mate, Peter Allan, to help find it, which they did. Someone told me this track made them feel seasick, which is exactly the feeling I was after!

THE ANGEL OF DEATH
"When the time comes to die … can you smile and say that you have been true?"
A Hank Williams song, which I included as a tribute to Hank. It's gloomy.

NO SOUL
"What profit it a man to rule the world but lose his soul?"
My "state of the nation" song. The first verse is about greed and lust for material things. The second verse is about the lust for political power. The third verse is about one race wanting to take over the world. The final verse is about the fact that without love you have no compassion, no soul. I think this is one of the best songs I've ever written.

(I WAS ON) MTV IN THE 80s
"Now I'm part of a trivia quiz in the section about showbiz"
I was on MTV in the '80s - the real one in the US. This is my story and every rock star's story. It's for everyone in showbiz and everyone who reads gossip columns. I thought the album was getting a bit heavy, so this slots in nicely.

LIKE A CROSS
"You've got to know which cross to choose"
If you care about your fellow man, you have to take responsibility for him. My good friend Eris O'Brien wrote this one. We've written a lot of songs together over the years and he's taught me a lot. Eris recently released his own album, Blessed Fool. Do yourself a favor …

DON'T SAY YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT
"When you say that you don't mean it, it means you do"
A continuation of Nothin's Right Nothin's Wrong with beautiful ensemble playing from some of Melbourne's finest.

TIME DESTROYS (AS WELL AS HEALS)
"Now there's no need for me to fear the future, I can leave the past behind"
It's about the journey from youthful naivety to the older and wiser Ross Wilson.

ROCKABILLY WOMEN
"Miss W. Jackson & a-Brenda Lee, that's the kinda woman that brings out the man in me"
I came up with this on the spot at the end of a recording session. I made up half the lyrics as the track went down. To me, it sounds like a good old rock 'n' roll record. It's totally live and I love James Black's piano playing.

SLIM DUSTY.COM
"It's virtual Slim @ slimdusty.com"
The bush ballad. I love Slim Dusty. This is about the idea of Slim having a website - which he does. In this song the music tradition of the past meets the 21st century. And that's what the whole album is about.

GO BONGO GO WILD Cat# WBR001

“Go Bongo Go Wild” features new stand-out material and contains some of Ross Wilson's most accomplished work to date.

Email: gobongo_gowild@hotmail.com
Visit: www.rosswilson.com.au