2009
LBS News
LBS Team Headed to Mid-Year Festivals
Once again an LBS contingent will feature prominently on the
festival circuit this year.
The Boondooma Homestead, 25th of April is the first stop over for the troup
as Shaza Leigh, Lindsay Butler and Brian Young drive north to unite with the
labels Qld roster including Ashley Cook, Lana Ross and Lindsay Waddington
for the weekend.
The following weekend it's down to the Murray River for the Mulwala
festival, hosted by Club Mulwala. Billed as the 'Friendly Festival',
Mulwala kicks off on Friday 1st May with a full country programme through
until Sunday afternoon. Lindsay Butler and Shaza Leigh present the LBS
Showcase on Saturday night joined by Brian Letton, Tom Maxwell and Lynette
Guest plus The Butler Boys Band featuring Ashley Cook, Lindsay Waddington &
Greg Williams.
Lindsay, Shaza, Ashley and Greg then travel to South Australia for a couple
of shows including Victor Harbour on Saturday and Port Pirie on Sunday.
They are then joined by Tom Maxwell, Lynette Guest and Greg Bain for the Wagga Wagga
Country Music Weekend on the 15th of May before returning to Tamworth
for recording commitments and up to North Qld on 24th June for the Ayr
Inaugural Show and Townsville 26th, Mackay 27th and Biloela 28th.
Brian Young joins the tour for the Qld leg.
It's then back to Tamworth for the Hats Off To Country Festival on
Sunday 19th July and back down to the Barham Country Music Festival
featuring The Lindsay Butler & Shaza Leigh Show. Ashley Cook and Greg
Williams will join the Butlers on this tour as well.
(Published April 2009)
(Photo Courtesy Toni Cook - L-R: Greg Bain, Lynette Guest, Ashley Cook,
Lindsay Butler, Shaza Leigh, Tom Maxwell, Brian Letton, Brian Young)
Tamworth Raises
Funds for Victorian Bushfire Appeal
On
Sunday 1st March, Shaza Leigh, Lindsay Butler and Deniese Morrison have
coordinated a fundraiser with The Salvation Army having assembled many of
Tamworth's finest including Brian Letton, The Sunny Cowgirls, Lynette Guest,
Rex Dallas, The Crosby Sisters, Christina George, Dale Duncan, Brian Howard,
Patti Morgan, Graham Double Day, Steve Newton, Greg Williams and The Butler
Boys Band.
The day starts at 10am with a worship service in the church with everyone
welcome. Then at 12 noon a BBQ lunch will be provided with fun
activities for the young ones including Rodney the Clown, silent auctions,
giveaways and surprise guest speakers and events.
The concert commences at 2pm with compere Nick Erby presenting many of
Tamworth's finest country performers. Patrons are invited to all or
part of the day with something for all ages.
(Published February 2009)
Lindsay Butler given Life Membership to TSA
The Tamworth Songwriters’ Association (TSA) awarded life
membership to Aussie Independent Music writer Lindsay Butler for his past
and continued support of Australia’s premier country music songwriting
organisation.
Lindsay had been the musical director for the TSA National Salute Awards
Concert for 30 years. Lindsay retired last year and handed the reins
over to longtime friend and bass player in the Lindsay Butler Band, Geoff
Clapson. Lindsay was thrilled that Geoff has continued to use all
local musicians in the new band lineup as many of Australia's best musicians
live and work out of Tamworth and are often overlooked by imports into the
city at that time of the year.
With a lifetime of music and touring accredited to the
highly respected quiet achiever, guitarist and music producer, Lindsay still
delivers the goods, adding another award to the mantle winning 'Instrumental
of the Year' again last weekend in Bungendore.
(Published February
2009)
Shaza & Manfred Win Contemporary Song of the Year
At
the National Salute Awards, triple nominee, Shaza Leigh
took home the Contemporary Song of the Year again, this time with first-time
co-writing partner Manfred Vijars. The winning song, ‘Strum’ was
recorded by Brian Letton and released on the LBS Country Collection as a
radio single late last year. As Shaza said during her acceptance
speech, 'No one delivers that kind of song with the same passion and power
as Brian Letton' and the song certainly delivered the goods for the
songwriters.
Shaza was a triple nominee on the evening. The other two outstanding
songs for the year, with finalist spots for regular songwriting partners
Shaza, Lindsay and WA writer Ben Jacobs, were ‘His Little Shiralee’ in
Country Ballad of the Year and Traditional Bush Ballad of the Year with
‘What Happened to the Handshake.’
(Published February 2009)
Ashley Cook
Album Launch
Ashley travelled to Tamworth this year for the launch of his third album, “I
Remember Buddy Williams” and Garry
Coxhead, an old-time friend and producer of Buddy’s, was invited to
officially launch the album. 
his latest release features eleven classic Buddy Williams favourites plus
one new tribute song written by Ben Jacobs, Shaza Leigh & Ashley simply titled “Buddy and Grace.”
The album was launched at Lindsay Butler Studios, Moonbi, as part of the LBS
20th Birthday Celebrations and with 2009 also marking the 70th anniversary of Buddy’s
first recording (1939) at Regal Zonophone, this new release is an appropriate dedication to one of Australia’s best
ever bush balladeers, by one of our leading young specialists in this field.
Buddy was one of the first pioneers to travel around Australia taking his
music to the people and by releasing this album, Ashley Cook is doing his
part in keeping Buddy’s memories and music alive. In fact, Ashley has
already been approached by many of Buddy’s dear friends and supporters,
saying how true Buddy was to his family and friends, not unlike the young
man himself. The parallel is unique and it has not gone unnoticed by the
devotees of this genre of music.
Ashley enjoyed doing this recording with dear friend and producer Lindsay Butler of LBS Music as Lindsay was very close to the Williams family having toured with Buddy for a number of years.
Whilst in Tamworth, Ashley was one of the Inductees for the Australian
Country Music Wall Of Honour the wall is dedicated to
Australian Country Music Artists making an important contribution to our
Professional Recording Industry. Ashley Cook is one such person who is
dedicated to preserving the Australian Bush Ballad in the traditional form.
(Published February 2009)
- 2009 Tamworth Country Music Festival Special -
(Published January 2009)
LBS Studio
Open Day Concert
Celebrating the 20th Birthday of LBS Music
Lindsay Butler Studios at Moonbi (New England Gully Rd), will once again host The LBS Studio Open Day Concert on Sunday 18th of January at 10am until 2pm. This annual festival event features over 20 of the most popular Australian independent recording artists backed by triple golden guitar winner, Lindsay Butler OAM and his show band The Butler Boys.
Award winning LBS Artists already
confirmed for this years performance are 3 previous golden guitar
finalists Brian Letton, Shaza Leigh and Tom Maxwell
plus the legendary Brian Young OAM.
Many of the industries leading bush balladeers always feature prominently on the day spearheaded by Ashley Cook, Bob Easter, Greg Bain, Peter Simpson, Brian Howard, Les Lawson and the females are extremely well represented by Lynette Guest, Melissa Bajric, Dianne Lindsay, Lana Ross and Rachel Jillett.
Also appearing will be male country crooners Greg Williams, Peter Salata and Darryl Lamb plus other surprise guests.
The ticket price is still only $15 –
making it one of the best value shows at the festival.
We will also be selling all albums at a special open day price of $20
per album on the day to all LBS Country Club Members and free
Memberships will also be given to anyone who purchases their first album
as an introduction to the company.
Full catering is supplied by the local Lions Club. (BYO chair).
What’s on at Butlers
Butlers Auditorium (336 Goonoo Goonoo
Road) opens on Monday 19thJanuary, presenting major country
showcases each day until Sunday 25th as part of the
Tamworth Country Music Festival.
An impressive line-up of multi-award winning entertainers hit town to give a star-studded performance.
National
recording artists include this years recipient of the Order of
Australia Medal, triple golden guitar winner and Roll of Renown
inductee - the master of country guitar Lindsay Butler OAM
and Hands of Fame Inductee, Womens Wall of Fame Inductee, triple
Gold Medallion winner and highly decorated songwriter Shaza Leigh,
spearhead the
bill with their 2008 touring show with leading country recording
stars backed by the Butler Boys daily.
These shows, The LBS Studio Morning Teas have become extremely
popular and most of the studios best appear throughout the week,
including Tom Maxwell, Brian Young,
Ashley Cook, Lynette Guest,
Lindsay Waddington, Melissa Bajric,
Bob Easter, Greg Bain,
Lana Ross, Noel Parlane, Darryl
Lamb, Dianne Lindsay, Peter Simpson, Peter
Salata, Norma Jean, Les Lawson and Brian Howard.
The Wall of Honour Inductees are presented daily. The 2009 recipients are Kevin King (Monday), Ashley Cook (Tuesday), The McKean Sisters (Wednesday), Peter Coad & The Coad Sisters (Thursday) and Bill Chambers (Friday). All five recipients have made an enormous contribution to the Australian Recording Industry and are being honoured for their service.
At the completion of the concert, guests are invited to wander through the recording studio, view the memorabilia and awards lounge and mingle with the artists each day.
The Butlers are
renowned for giving that little extra above and beyond what you
expect to make your concert experience memorable. This year will be
no exception featuring the concert, induction, studio tour and a
free cuppa will make your morning tea an enjoyable experience.
Album Launches at Open Day
Ashley Cook -
'I Remember Buddy Williams'
The Tamworth
Festival will once again act as the launching pad for the new
Ashley Cook album, his third to date.
On the 18th January, The LBS Open Day Concert at
Moonbi will be honoured with releasing this very special album
release remembering one of our pioneering balladeers, Buddy
Williams.
The album is simply titled 'I Remember Buddy Williams'. Buddy
has been an inspiration to Ashley and following the success of
the title track of his last album 'Beneath The Queensland Moon'
it seemed fitting for Ashley to record more of Buddy songs as a
tribute to the great balladeer that everyone admired and loved.
Not only was it
a special project for Ashley, it was a project dear to Ashley’s
producer Lindsay Butler. Lindsay toured with Buddy for many
years and still harbours fond memories of the friendship he had
with the great showman and his close ties to the entire Williams
family.
To add to the eleven Buddy songs was a special piece written by
Ben Jacobs, Shaza Leigh, Lindsay Butler and Ashley about Buddy,
Grace and family on the road, doing what they loved, taking Bush
Ballads to their country fans. This is not so far removed
from the way that the Cook family have always travelled their
own track together.
Ashley has a busy schedule in Tamworth after the launch of his
new album as he will appear day on the LBS morning teas at
Butlers Auditorium, plus host his own show “Cookies Cook Up”
outside LBS Studios with various artists. Walk ups are also
welcome to join the booked recording artists from 12.00pm to
2.00pm. Ashley will also
be performing at the Oasis, Bush Balladeers Homestead and
Farrar College this year.
B
'Barry Benning & Friends'
The new
Pindaroo Music album, Barry Benning & Friends, will be launched
at the LBS Studio Open Day in Tamworth as part of the festival
celebrations.
The album has been in production for over twelve months as
several of the songs were written specifically for the album
including the two Shaza Leigh Tracks 'Light Years From Home' and
'Footprints in the Sand', the tribute song performed by Tom
Maxwell 'The Benning Brothers' plus 'Bunuba Man' recited by
Brian Young.
Lindsay Butler produced the album
and also contributed a couple of solo instrumentals 'Desert
Dreaming' and 'Kimberley Wind' and performed a duet with Barry
on 'Winter Winds'. Ashley Cook also covered the
appropriate song 'Dark Eyed Brothers'.
The album is a wonderful tribute, not only to the Benning
Bothers but to all indigenous Australians. There are some
wonderful songs performed by Barry and his chosen friends, the
touring elite of the outback.
The video
version of LBS The Early Years was released in the 90's. It
has now been digitally remastered and released on DVD for the
first time.
This historic footage features the first three artists to be
signed and released on the label, back in 1989, Brian Letton,
Shaza Leigh and Lindsay Butler.
Artist interviews were conducted by radio personality Brian
Howard. Howdy's knowledge of the artists and the LBS
company make the DVD an informative piece of Australian
history.
The clips were collated from television appearances and
promotional film clips through the early years of LBS.
Brian Letton
Ready For Tamworth 2009
Brian has now finalised his 2009 Festival
performance dates and times and all show presentations will
be held at the Kootingal Bowling Club. The four shows are
Saturday 17th 8pm, Tuesday 20th 2.30pm, Wednesday 21st
10.30am and Saturday 24th at 2.30pm.
Brian's new single, 'Strum' written by Manfred Vijars and
Shaza Leigh has been released on the LBS Country Collection
volume 13 and is currently enjoying widespread airplay.
Inspired by what could easily be a true
life situation, “STRUM” is a unique bush ballad, a story
song.
A cleverly crafted, touching tale of a derelict
living on the streets who is befriended by the author and
sadly meets a tragic end at the hands of a gang of local
thugs.
Brian was “moved” by the
storyline of “STRUM”. “In the modern world, this type of
occurrence is common,
it happens, sadly. Many of us will
be able to relate to the story. The raw emotion and
the reality of the composition, certainly encouraged me
to record it and release it as my next single” Brian
said.
Tom
Maxwell - NSW Touring Artist of the Year
Tom
Maxwell is now preparing for the Tamworth Festival after
winning his second Gold Medallion Award for 2008 NSW Touring
Artist of the Year. He also secured Bush Balladeer of
the Year as well.
Having also been named as a finalist in the Male Vocalist of
the Year at the Australian Bush Ballad Awards, with his new
single, Tom is riding high heading into 2009.
During the festival Tom will be doing his regular
appearances with the LBS team including the 20th Birthday
celebrations at the Open Day and Monday Morning Tea at
Butlers. The Oasis will also host several spots and
his regular Peel St appearances are foremost on his
schedule.
Tom's currently preparing to record and release another new
album before hitting the roads of Australia.
This will be his 9th album with LBS Music. His success
as a recording and touring artist is largely due to his work
ethic and quality recordings. We will all continue to
admire the rise and rise of Tom Maxwell in the years to
come.