509. Soul Time by Shirley Ellis 1967

Back in 1974 I went back to the UK with my Mum and sister for Christmas. I spent months living in the front room of my Auntie Sheila's house. I was hanging out with my cousin Neil and going to clubs and ice skating rings and pubs. This was all new to me after living in Nunawading without a car and spending most my time at the church youth club.
One night he took me to a place called the Mecca or more specifically the Highland Room of the Mecca.
As we set off I put on my new jacket though I was a bit worried because it was slightly drizzling outside. Neil told me to put it away. If it rains it's warmer and you won't need a jacket in the club. You'd just have to check it in to the coat room.
 I had been to the Mecca once before when I was about 7 years old and seen a beat band there and remembered it was huge. The Highland Room was not huge. It had tartan walls and a low ceiling.
There were a few there. Girls dancing round handbags. But then this guy walks out and throws talcum powder on the floor and starts doing these other worldly dance moves. Flipping, spinning. We all just stood there watching. Then the DJ starts playing more soul and everyone is up dancing.
40 years later I'm at a club called Southside Soul in Melbourne. A guy pulls out some talcum powder and spreads it on the floor. No flips or slides. Just clean dance moves. Maybe the soulsters are getting on a bit now. But it brings a smile to my face. Then the next song comes on and it's Soul Time by Shirley Ellis. A song Liz and I dance to at home. So I'm on the the dance floor. Away from the talc though. Dancing to a soul great.

508. Magnet and Steel by Walter Egan 1978

When it came time to record my first single back in 1978 Bruce Milne introduced me a friend of his who had been busy playing around with sounds in his living room. Stuart Beatty was probably doing more than that but that was the brief I was given. He could record a single on his 4 track Teac and it would cost us practically nothing.
A meeting was arranged and I went round to Stuart's place in St. Kilda. I couldn't believe the number of cats prowling the place. Big fluffy ones. That's why it was called the Cathouse on the single cover later. He had a great collection of records lining the living room wall and he proceeded to play me sounds. This was the first. I was a bit taken aback by this choice because The Fiction were still a punk band. Magnet and Steel features Stevie Nicks for heaven's sake. And Lindsay Buckingham produced it. Fleetwood Mac were the opposite of what I was hoping for. But Stuart was concentrating on the sound and the harmonies. And it did sound amazing.
And the song stuck with me. I managed to pick up a copy a few weeks later and it spent a fair amount of time on my turntable. I'd never thought much about backing vocals before but this song opened my ears right up. I think I had the melodies but now I needed the harmonies.