JOE CAMILLERI Jo Jo Zep Brought the Soul to Oz Rock and the Black Sorrows Did It Again
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END LIVING LEG JOE CAMILLERI Jo Jo Zep brought the soul to Oz rock and the Black Sorrows did it again. But tomorrow’s club gig is always the one that counts F By Michael Dwyer F PHOTOGRAPH BY JO DUCK weet music floats into the st – which was just to play a song together enough money to put a deposit on a house. Kilda morning from the open from start to end without stopping. What happens is it turns out to be a dream. front door of the mansion on Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons were 10 years and How did at fall apart? the hill. Beyond the lead-light many more bands away. Was their success I reached a point where I didn’t know foyer sits Joe Camilleri, teasing a cumulative thing? who I was and I had all these fires going off out Duke Ellington on his hand- Total accident. I just happened to have in Europe. They wanted me to move there Spainted sax. “I’ve played the song inside the right songs for the right time. It wasn’t and I said, ‘I’m not going.’ So the house of out but to find something that 5,000 sax- even the right songs for the band. We had cards fell down and the girls [Vika and ophone players have never found…?” He to find a way of doing them. I was so into Linda Bull] had an opportunity to make shakes his head. After 50 years in showbiz, dub music by then. My first song was “So a record, which was great. I didn’t like the a looming jazz club date is yet another puz- Young”. This reggae style was a bit for- spectacle any more. There were 11 people on zle to crack. “I’m gonna do the Van Morri- eign, you know? But to their credit we stage. Horn players, jugglers . it was clown son I reckon: just play one note.” made something out of it. The next few week. I needed to put the lid on it. songs were “Hit and Run”, “Shape I’m In” With the Revelators, then Bakelite Radio, Didn’t you get thrown in the deep end at it was back to roots covers. your very first gig, in 1964? Yeah, they’re good re- Yeah, we were down here in Footscray cords. And I was a bit disap- and they used to have these blue light dis- I KINDA THOUGHT pointed they didn’t do better cos and [my friends] physically threw me because they were coming up there. I think we did a Rolling Stones THAT [THE BEATLES’] from a good place. song. I didn’t know that they didn’t write it, You went into business with though. It was probably “Carol” or “Route ‘LOVE ME DO’ WAS Woodstock Studios, and the 66”, something off that first album. Beach Café. Why? It’s always been the Stones not the Bea- A BUCKET OF PUS.” What did I get a record- tles, right? ing studio for? I just wanted It was a fraternity: the Kinks, the Ani- and that [Screaming Targets] album. So to record myself and my friends. I hate the mals, the Stones, probably the Dave Clark we were able to manufacture something music business! The last thing I wanna do Five, then the Beatles. Was “Love Me Do” that’s become part of the tapestry of Aus- is take money off a musician. So I gave it their first single? I kinda thought that was tralian music. away. It was the same when I had the café a bucket of pus. The Stones had something The early Eighties version of the Black Sor- with Paul Hester. We just wanted to have else that was more interesting, to me. But rows seemed like a rejection of that pop coffee with our kids and we ended up yell- the big thing was the Animals. “House of success. You went back to Fats Domino, ing at people for ordering almond milk. I the Rising Sun” eclipsed all. Then there John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, zydeco. miss that little geezer. The day I gave the was this geezer called Bob Dylan. Incred- I didn’t wanna not be successful. For keys to the new owner was the day I start- ible time, ’65. me it was about the music. I had no pur- ed writing songs again. How were you hearing this stuff? pose. I was looking for a job. I was work- New LP Faithful Satellite is your 48th album. Coles used to have these singles bins. My ing as a dish pig at this place and the boss But it seems like the gig is the real game for brother and I were also sending away for said, ‘Come do a Sunday afternoon out the you these days. these Prestige/Bluesville music catalogues. front’, and out of that I found this band . It always has been, though. I don’t think You’d go in there and take a chance on We made this little record [Sonola], and I was ever suited to the big thing. The song the name. Pink Anderson worked for me. that catapulted us into something else. list, the lights, [hitting] your mark . I just Terrible record. Blind Willie McTell. Last The Sorrows got massive in the late Eight- don’t have it. I’m an unmade bed. And I Session. Crackin’ record. Howlin’ Wolf ies. Was there a point where you crossed think that that’s why I live in those smaller would work. Snooks Eaglin. How’s that for the line from musician to something else? places where I started. When you’re play- a name? New Orleans street singer. It doesn’t take long. You’re getting a ing to 10,000 people, who are you throw- And you joined the Drollies. certain kind of attention. You’re going to ing it to? It’s all smoke and mirrors. When It was the worst band you could imag- meetings with A&R people talking shit you play to 500 people, you can feel the ine being in, with the worst name. But that you don’t know nothing about. You soul. You can certainly smell it. Whether the friendship was brilliant. It was about don’t wanna let it go, whatever it is, be- they’re on your side or not, you can feel the hanging together and having a dream cause it’s pretty good, and you’ve got hum in the room. I signed up for that. 48 | Rolling Stone | RollingStoneAus.com January, 2017 January, 2017 RollingStoneAus.com | Rolling Stone | 49.