1. Story of Ali
2. Mr. Blue
3. King Velvet (King of the Rodeo)
4. Start of a New Day
5. Oh, Sarah
6. Flight of the Gulls
7. Run Sylvie Run
8. Call Me a Drifter
9. Passing the Time
10. Carry Me Back to L.A.
11. Danville Queen
12. Busted
13. Flight of the Gulls (Alternative Version)
Bonus 1:
1973 solo single for Mushroom
14. Steel Guitar
Bonus 2:
With 1972 band One Ton Gypsy at the Garrison Venue’s farewell
shows
15. Covered Wagon
16. Boy You Shot Me Down
Mad House is an anomaly of the time in Australia. A potpourri of
West Coast late 60's US sounds. Sitar, tampoura, dholak, tables,
banjo, violin, pedal steel guitar, flute, cello, piano are some
of the instruments you'll hear on this!
Ray Brown's success in the mid 60's fronting the Whispers is
well known. They were one of the top Australian bands around
between 1965-66 and played frequently with Billy Thorpe & The
Aztecs, Tony Worsley & The Blue Jays, Easybeats, Normie Rowe &
The Playboys & Max Merritt & The Meteors.
In just six months they scored four top five hits including 20
Miles, Pride, Fool, Fool, Fool & In the Midnight Hour. Their
star shined so brightly that they were the first Australian band
to have an album released in both mono and stereo!
By the end of 1966 the pressures of a terrible recording
contract signed by Ray while still under 21 became too much and
he left the band.
After a short lived solo project during 1967 Ray packed his bags
and headed to the US to pursue a solo career. Over the next two
years he worked in the states and recorded a solo album Just Ray
Brown for Capitol, produced by legendary American
composer-arranger-producer David Axelrod. Despite the 'name'
producer and large budget, it flopped, largely due to poor
choices of material forced on Ray by the record company.
With a broadened musical palette and a hands on course in the
then current US counter culture, Ray headed back to Sydney
during 1969 and landed at Mal Clarke's (Tony Worsley & Blue
Jays) place at Bondi Beach crashing on his lounge.
Before Mal now, was a bearded, long-haired, fringe jacketed
hippy, who had discovered both song writing and pot during his
sojourn. A far cry from the clean cut, suited and booted teen
heart throb he was before he left. He wanted to form a band, put
some songs together, record them, make some quick cash and head
back to the States ASAP.
During 1969 RAY BROWN / MOONSTONE played 3 East Coast tours
taking in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane honing the songs to be
recorded later in the year. Memories are sketchy at best from
the short recording sessions for this album as it seems mind
altering substances entered the building shortly after the band
set up for their first session with only Ray & Engineer Richard
Batchens escaping the festivities on the other side of the
recording booth.
The majority of the album was recorded over a few days with
guests including John Sangster, Jimmy Doyle, Jimmy Thompson (who
plays drums on much of the album), Pee Wee Clark & Ed Gaston.
The album was released in 1970 with little fanfare from the
record company and after one single release in March 1970 Ray
pulled the plug on the group. It wasn't long after, that Ray
headed back to the States into the Californian sunshine for one
more shot at fame. Little was he to know this album would be the
last thing he would ever release.