It Flew Away - The Lounge Room Tapes Double LP Melbourne 1987 RARE OzPsych 1/250

	A$		80
	$		53

Rare - 1 of 250 - 1970s self-produced Melbourne psychedelic rock - It Flew Away, The Lounge Room Tapes Double LP. A Collection of the band's tracks recorded in lounge rooms in Prahran and Glen Waverly in 1972 and put together as this double LP collection in an Oakleigh lounge room in 1987.

It Flew Away
*Ian Clarke - Keyboards
*Barend du Preez - Bass, Vocals, Harmonica
*John Reid - Guitar
*Shane Cleary - Drums

The records are in excellent condition in original sleeves and double album cover with the band's story and photographs also excellent - slight corner bumps and light impression from records on lower front and rear cover, otherwise clean and bright, hardly any shelfwear.

Tracks
1. On My Way Home (B.du Preez) - 5:54
2. Good Times (B.du Preez) - 9:16
3. Raggin'MyBin (I. Clarke, B.du Preez, J.Reid) - 2:44
4. Aimless Pasture (I. Clarke) - 7:09
5. Candy Meets The Vibrator (J. Reid) - 2:52
6. Mighty Harvest (take 1) (J. Reid, B. du Preez, I. Clarke) - 5:05
7. Beach (B.du Preez) - 6:03
8. Crab Apple Jelly Jam (J. Reid, B. du Preez) - 3:15
9. Watch Out (R.Reid, J.Reid, B.du Preez) - 4:37
10.Open Spaces (B. du Preez) - 6:21
11.Pull Out All The Stops Mother (I. Clarke, B. du Preez) - 15:23

Early in 1971 Ian Clarke (keyboards), Barend du Preez (bass, vocals and harmonica) and John Reid (guitar) were living in a defunct private hospital in Prahran, writing songs and thinking only half seriously about forming a band. John's brother, Rob, took the initiative and put an ad in the Source Bookshop in Melbourne... Wanted - Creative Drummer. Guitarist, bass player and organist, writing own music, seek sincere musician to develop a group from embryonic stages to something satisfying. In August, Shane Cleary turned up, and on a cold grey day, over a bowl of hot millet, It Flew Away was born.

The band's first gig was in early December, supporting Carson at Ocean Grove. Then followed an appearance at Evolution ("Australia's biggest holiday dance in the heart of swinging Rosebud"). On New Years Eve they played The Regent for the first time with Spectrum, Friends, Carl & Janie Myriad, Blackfeather and The Joy Band. With earnest and rather pained expressions they presented their collection of lengthy and extravagant musical images, in front of the Stargate Corridor light show.

Throughout 1972, It Flew Away took their music wherever they could - Sebastians, Q Club, Much More Ballroom, universities, suburban dances as far afield as Adelaide, Sydney and Newcastle. Whilst in Sydney the band visited the ABC studios, to record 'Candy Meets The Vibrator', 'Aimless Pasture' and one other song for an airing on the popular music show of the day known as 'G.T.K.'.

It Flew Away had it all, ambitious keyboard passages combined with a great guitar sound and tough rhythm section making their sound far more memorable than most symphonic rock outfits of the day.

They won a Battle of the Bands at Buronga on the Murray River near Mildura, and seemed to be achieving some recognition among informed writers in the music press. But all was not well. The Regent burned down and the Much More Ballroom closed. Sympathetic audiences were scarce, and efforts to support It Flew Away with a theatrical rock and roll band called Thicket Ducks, and later, a straight outfit called The Pub Band failed.

The almost six minute opening track 'On My Way Home' has classy guitar/keyboard interplay and practically sets the tone for all the material on this release. From the epic 'Good Times' with its fantastic guitar lines, soaring keyboards and interesting lyrical content (du Preez even managed to incorporate some Tolkien imagery), to the wildness of 'Candy...' or the last track 'Pull Out All The Stops Mother', everything here is played with 100% confidence by a band on the brink of greatness, but nonetheless, one whose members never saw the door of opportunity open for them.

Fortunately for the band and fans, loyal friends Carl Hartung and Ross Williams kept a cache of well recorded tapes containing a number of versions of different songs. It was always Hartung's ambition to make an album using this material and in 1987 Hartung and Reid worked together to create a compilation reflecting various facets of the band's songwriting. This is it.