Help: Looking for the Cobbers-Australian folk band

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,Alison
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 07:27 AM

Hi to all 'Cobbers' fans. I also remember dancing and enjoying the music of this great bush band at Dan O'Connells pub as well as other venues in the Melbourne area. I use to enjoy this with my friends at the time, Linda and Romaine, etc. Somewhere i have some great photos of us with the band.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 05:33 PM

Christy Coonie was at the National and in fine form, but I didn't ask about his back catalogue and can't remember where he's living.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,Lyne
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:02 PM

Ashley, you should try second hand record stores. I'm in Melbourne and there are some great ones down here, but I imagine there would be in Sydney too.

I was just surfing around and reminiscing about nights at The Dan O'Connell, dancing like crazy with my friend Sue Beaton to our favourite band, The Cobbers. I'm really happy to see you here John and to hear that you are still playing. Sorry to hear about Big Ron. That's sad news, but not as much of a shock as when Blossom was killed though.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,Ashley in Sydney
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 04:13 AM

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a copy of the Cobbers. My Dad loves them but lost his record years ago. I want to suprise him forchristmas. Can anyone help!!!! THANKS!
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:12 AM

Johhny's is currently a part of The John Broomhall Trio with John, & Dave de Santi

Terry, you could try contacting the Illawarra Folk Club for more info on the missing Bulli Bush Band members

sandra

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 03:05 AM

G'day Terry,

I'm not from down the Illawarra Region (Bulli is/was coal mining town down that way - and the Illawarra Folk Festival is one of the really nice 'smallish' folk festivals) - and I can't think of current links for Bert, Bob & Wayne ... but Vince Brophy has a fairly successful solo career doning a mixture of Irish and Australian material (78 'hits' on Google).

Johnny Spillane remains present and active around the Illawarra area - great whistle player / handy piper. Found in all sorts of 'floating' arrangements with members of Wongawilli Bush Band, Chloë & Jason Roweth (formerly Us not Them) and quite a few other groups.

1984 would be around the time Bruce Cawthorne was down south, working with Cobbbers (... ?).

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,Terry Cole
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 01:33 AM

I have today come into possession of a 12" vynyl recording from August 1984 of the Bulli Bush Band.
The artists were Bert McKnight, Bob Lind, Wayne Lawton, Vince Brophy and Johnny Spillane.
I would be interested in hearing if any of these guys are still around.
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Rowan
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 04:11 PM

Muttley, that'd probably have been Christy Cooney. When the Colonial Dancers started (the Melbourne ones, that is) the Cobbers were always good for the dancing.

Great times.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Muttley
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 04:10 AM

I recall seeing The Cobbers at a function (from memory, in a school hall) once many years ago. Hadn't been a real 'bush / folk music fan prior but absolutely got blown away by the enthusiasm, energy and moreover the lyrics and melodies they sang.

Cannot recall the name of the singer (probably GUEST: Cobber) but I recall several songs he sang with a brilliant Irish-like lilt melded into the really bushie Aussie accent.

After moving back to the country some years after I revisited the experience through a friend and fellow teachers' Bush Band and have been a loyal "follower" since.

Great to hear that the Cobbers boys are still alive and doing their thing - though individually; Thanks for a great recollection and a chance to thank one of you for such a brilliant introduction to Aussie bush/folk sung with such pride and passion.

Muttley

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,Margaret
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 01:08 PM

It's very nice to come across this thread, though I found Denice's note more than a bit disorienting since at first I thought it was something I'd written myself and forgotten - I was at the same concert as she and was barely in time to buy the last vinyl copy of BD!

BD is one of my fave albums without a doubt. And it was sped up?? Subtly done, at least.

Reading of Big Ron's death was saddening, though - I'd hoped the Cobbers were still together. It truly *was* a great band, John. I've heard others from Oz, and the Cobbers were (imo) well out in front.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,gaelicsinger
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 08:13 PM

go raibh mile maith agat, a Séan! (Thanks a million, John) for your reply. It was a joy to read your e-mail; although, my condolences and regrets on the passing of "Big Ron".

I think it was "Bushland Dreaming" that had my memory pegged. I'd like to collect any and all of the Cobbers' releases, if possible... of course, with correct remuneration.

I look forward to future news & travels.

I hope all is well. Denice

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 06:56 AM

G'day John,

Nice story on cobber ... doesn't stand the scrutiny of the historical record ... but a nice story, nonetheless! (See above 07 - Oct - 00, for the most probable, from the linguistic record.)

I haven't seen Bruce at Illawarra festivals in recent years ... I will ask some of the locals if they know where he is these days. I first met him when I came back to Sydney in 1970, after a spell in Tasmania and the Snowy - and he was playing with the Bush Music Club Concert Party. I also photographed his wedding, around 1973/4.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,cobber
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:55 AM

I knew I remembeed the name but I couldn't pick the venue. Those were good days. We never got to Sydney much, which was probably not good for record sales, let alone keeping up with people. It was actually cheaper to go to the US, or at least, more profitable and that took a major slice of the year so that when we came back, our families tried to keep us closer to home. I saw a photo of the Bulli band, way back and it looked a perfect band for Bruce. If tou see him say hello. There was a lot of talk about the word "cobber". Needless to say, we were always interested in that. The most likely explanation we found, though I can't remember the source now, was that the word dated back to the Cobb and Co coaches and the people who took the cheap seats up on the roof were known as Cobbers. I guess you had to get along with people up there as it would have been a fairly arduous way to travel. The word then went on to encompass anyone travelling together and as most of the swagmen (itinerant workers for anyone who doesn't know the word) travelled with a mate, the two words became interchangeable.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 08:49 AM

G'day John,

Great to hear of The Cobbers once again. I liked a lot of what you did and always felt that you walked the line between a "traditional" and a "pop" style with more balance than, say The Bushwackers. I loved the instrumental style – particularly on Bushland Dreaming and thought this effectively extended the range of what a "bush band" should be expected to do.

I helped organise the venue when you used the Glebe Town Hall for a Sydney record launch ... back in the '80s. The Bush Music Club was using the Town Hall for its regular bush dance, up to 1984 ( when we moved to the Glebe High School), so this must have been 1983 or earlier.

Bruce Cawthorne was Sydney based in the '70s and early '80s, but he moved south (relative to Sydney, anyway) down the Illawarra, where he played with The Bulli Bush Band for some time. I haven't seen him for a few years now (I bought an old concertina from him at the Illawarra Folk festival, Jamberoo, some years back).

BTW: I'm not too sure Corryong rates as "the high country" ... down there at Murray River level ... but that's from the viewpoint of working on the Snowy Hydro Scheme ... Corryong was when you got down to the bottom of the real mountains. I have a photograph, tucked away somewhere, of me looking at Jack O'Reilly's grave ... in 1966.

I was interested to hear that the recording was sped up on Bushland Dreaming. I guess that, not knowing just what it had really sounded like, we were not to notice ... but it clearly irked you all these years. I will need to take note for when (if ever) I get around to committing my old vinyl to CD ... Is it consistent throughout the double album – and what percentage does it need to be corrected by? So far, I have been concentrating on getting my unique tape archive material digitised and organised on CDs, while I have lent my good separate turntable to a friend that is concentrating on the vinyl. I figure we can share results and avoid doubling up on effort that way.

I would be interested to see the Cobbers history material you have – and tuck a copy away in the Bush Music Club archives. If you have it on MS Publisher, I have this app and can read it. I will send an e-mail to your address and discuss it.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: GUEST,cobber
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 06:25 AM

I've been off the air for some time and missed this thread so for those who were interested before, I'd better introduce myself.My name is John Armstrong and I've been posting to mudcat on various things for a while now under the name cobber. With "Big Ron" Howard, our bass player for many years, and a couple of others, I started the band, Cobbers towards the end of 1967, although it was not called Cobbers then and we played our first paid (yes, real money rather than just beer)on the 15th Feb 1968. The band finished up in April 1998 at a festival in Corryong in tyhe High Country where the Man From Snowy River, Jack O'Reilly, came from.We got together again six months later for a reunion concert when "Big Ron" died suddenly.The concert was a benefit for his family and was a great night. We actually filmed the night but I've been so busy lately that we haven't even begun to edit the tapes. I still play with Chris, my brother, who was the guitarist in the band and Maity, our old accordionist, who works with his own band as well. He also teams up with Christy Cooney who was the Irish banjo player with us for many years. We had a web site up for a while which had a long history of the band but it's not there at present. I have it on a publisher file and could send it to anyone who was really interested.You can reach me at [e-mail] and I'll work out how to send it. For Denice, who saw us at the fair, if you read this, the album you got there has just been digitised. I'm pretty sure it would have been the "Bushland Dreaming" concert album. A friend in Louisiana digitised it recently and sent me a copy. It has allowed me to right a twenty-odd year old gripe. When we made that album it was too long to fit the double album, so rather than take off a song, the cutting engineers sped the whole thing us. I've always hated it but now, courtesy of modern technology, I have been able to bring it back to concert pitch. Get in touch with me, Denise and I'll happily burn you a copy. Meantime it's great to hear about Bruce Cawthorne again. I haven't heard from him for years. He was great fun in the band as well as adding some terrific small squeezebox work. The children's album that Bruce played on is still available from Kindergarten suppliers here in Melbourne. It may outlive all the other albums. Anyway, thanks to everyone who posted to this thread. A new generation has passed through and not many people I meet remember the Cobbers. I still believe it was a great band, but then, I would, wouldn't I.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 05:23 AM

G'day again Rich,

Looks like the corn feed is the best better.

that's all right cobber (Australian dialect = Mate, friend, companion. The Oxford Concise Australian Dictionary surmises probably from Britiish dialect cob, take a liking to).

Unfortunately, no one has come up with info on the Bush Band The Cobbers. I knew some one briefly in the line up (Bruce Cawthorne, accordionist) and helped run a publicity function for their new record of circa 1985 (Tales of Australian Pioneer Women?) but have no current contact as they were based in Melbourne, 800/900 km to the south.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: raredance
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 08:59 PM

Well Bob, I've never actually asked anyone how the "Cobbers" got their name. These few thing I do know.

1. The high school team in the same town (Moorhead, MN) is called the "Spuds"

2. There is a big corn feed every year on the concordia College campus.

3. I have never seen representations of: a)male swans; b)stocky horses; c)African migratory antelope.

Infer what you must, I imply nothing.

rich r

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 11:00 PM

G'day rich,

OK - So its a Minnesota college sports page ... and they have got a soccer player called Kevin Roos ... but what the dickens does cobber mean in your local dialect ... cobber?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: raredance
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 11:25 PM

More than you wanted to know about the "Cobbers" here ;-)

http://www.cord.edu/dept/sports/index.html

rich r

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for the Cobbers
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 10:55 PM

G'day Arbidee,

I have not hear anything new from them for many years. A friend did play with them for a while in the early '80s.

try this site: Australian Folk Songs

This should have links back to other Mark Gregory sites that should help.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Looking for the Cobbers
From:
Date: 02 Oct 00 - 01:25 PM

In 1980 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas, I enjoyed a wonderful folk band from Australia by the name of "The Cobbers." My roomie and I went in together on a tape, but when she moved, she got the tape. I've been wondering all these years and I'm searching the web as well for news of the group. Are they still together? Are any of their recordings still available? If so, how to contact?

Anybody with any ideas? I'd be really grateful. Denice