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In 1983, Wendy put together the first incarnation of 'The Wendy Saddington Band', with the musicians: Bobby Gebert (keyboards), Harvey James (guitar), Billy Rylands (bass) and Chris Sweeney (drums). Three years later in 1986, Wendy put together an impressive new line-up of The Wendy Saddington Band, this time featuring Mick Liber (guitar), Angelica Booth (bass), Des "Animal" McKenna (drums) and Rose Bygrave (organ). The style of the '86-87 group has been described as "reggae hip-hop funk 'n' soul, with Wendy at her 1987 best". The band recorded an as yet unreleased album at Eric Newton Recording studio (aka ENREC Studios, run and owned by Elf Newton), but unfortunately someone at the studio subsequently lost the master tape. The band later burned a surviving cassette dub onto CD, but by that time Wendy apparently had "grown out of it and didn't want to release it cause it wasn't good enough". The unreleased ENREC recordings also feature a 16-year-old named Javier Fredes (of Ray Pereira's Bongo Fury) on congas and timbales, and the Flying Emus on accordion, fiddles and harmonicas.
DES MCKENNA – MAY 2008
"I named her (Wendy) 'the witch of pitch' - its sort of a special name for a magic girl. Great great singer; thrills me!! I don't think she wanted the ENREC recordings released cos they ruff as guts and the band had 'had a few'. On the ENREC recordings are also 16-year-old Javier Fedis on Congas timbales - he plays with Ray Pereiras bongo fury -, and on accordion fiddles and harmonicas are 'the Flying Emus'. Titles were in no particular order: 3 Minutes to Midnight (aka Nuclear Midnight), Grinding Wheel (aka Vile Society), Hypocrite Heaven, Billy Jean, Stand By Me, Aint That Peculiar, I Who Have Nothing, and Blues-Mother of Sin. We did each song once with Wendy wailing like a live gig. Then she sang some overdubs in unison with her self, then me and Javier did some extra congas and timbales then all off down to the pub for a vegetarian counter lunch while the flying emus did some harps accordions and fiddles. We did it all in 3 hours at 10am on a Sunday instead of mass. September? 1986. It was Tamworth country music festival week. By 5 pm Elf had mixed it shelved it and lost it!!! The whole day and the drive from melbun in my HQ wagon cost about 380bux!!! hahaha. I don't think anyone can remix em (the ENREC recordings), they are left in a box under the shelf, gone wet and rusty and then we put them to CD from someone's tired old MONO Cassette, but who nose? They released some Charlie Parker and Hendrix like that and lots of the old jazz n blues… We got a right to sing the blooos."
THE WITCH OF PITCH AT LIGHTNING RIDGE by Traven Colins (aka Colin Talbot)
Wendy Saddington, long-time the secret world's bestest ever blues singer and you can pass her in swansong street Melbourne in her sari singing Hare Krishna devotional songs and not have a clue you have just walked past the world's best singer ever, she makes sense-- finally of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' --a song so seminal it sent Michael bonkers so that he ended up keeping elephants in fantasy land californicatiania. I used to think it was about that tennis player who beat Bobby Riggs in a dress with her left hand tied up until I heard Wendy's version... yeah, Wendy the heart of soul singing the guts out of it while Des McKenna ‘dexta 'the mack' do ya ken? --leads a rhythm section that Sly and Robbie would die and boogie for and then go to heaven and then think it was okay and stay up there. Someone must release this version of 'the jeanster' and the CD Album “The Witch of Pitch Live at Lightning Ridge” or it will uncage itself from its untimely prison and say 'world, I am soul!' and not world, you are sold, like sold right out. While there is a Wendy singing there is a heart in this forlorn creation we call the universe. And add Drummer Des McKenna as Dez Dexta Mack The Kenista to Angelica Luschvitz-Booth on bass and buy it and be it. -- (©1989/2009, Traven Colins aka Colin Talbot).
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ENREC STUDIOS RECORDINGS (1986) - RECORDING CREDITS
DES 'DIZZY' MCKENNA (DRUMS)
Des 'Dizzy' McKenna is an Australian drummer who found ‘Real’ Jazz Notoriety with Nat Adderley, Wendy Saddington, Koahlition, Al Greene's bassman Brian 'Thunder Thumbs' Batie, Keith Nolan's Cannonball and Baltimore guitar master O’Donel Levy from the great Jimmy Smith, Ernie Watts and Herbie Mann bands. Dizzy learnt drums from Billy Hart, Elvin Jones, Larry Keane, Stewie Spears, Ed Soph, Ted Vining, Ron Sandilands and Graham Morgan.
Over the years, Des has worked with the following musicians: HoundDog Taylor, Jon Schofield, O’Donel Levy (Ex Jimmy Smith) Lavidia Sage, Ras Asambai, Canned Heat, Joe Chindamo (ex Billy Cobham) Brian Batie (Ex Rev Al Green) Gongo Men, Tommy ‘Two Thumbs’ Lim Keith Nolan’s Cannonball, Dizzy Gillespie, Nyeppi Noya, Winton Marsalis, Djaambi, Jan Akkerman, Chet Baker, Adrian Fisher, Roland van Campenhout, Rory Gallagher, Raymond van het Groenwalde, Jennifer Su, Afro Cuban Liasion, Eric B and The Nile, Ray Gunn and the Lazer Beams, Keith Hounslow and Giant Steps, Beggars Hearth, Brian Brown Quartet, Tony Gould Trio, Jamie Fielding and Transwaste, Slim Dusty, Max Merritt, Lou Burdet, Karl Beavis, Willy Madigan and The Raries, Traven Collins, Randy and JahOroo, Ted Egan, Electric Fishermon, Linda and Vika Bull, The Black Sorrows, Zan and Sherine, Anne and Johnny Hawker with Paul Grabowski, Jane Clifton and Saba, David Hirschfelder Quartet, John Farnham, Pyramid, The Stinky McGee Big Band, Ken Schroeder and Murray Wall, Collette Mann and Betty Bobbit, Colin Talbot, Bert and Patti Newton, Ian Mawson Trio, Eddy Van Roosendael, Barry Veith Big Band, Barry Duggan, Tony Hollamby and The Hubcats, Paul Madigan and the Humans, No Fixed Address, Pressure Drop, Man Friday, Wild Child Chenile, Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons, Slabs os Sin, Colored Stone, The Bushwackers, Taj Mahal, The Pogues, Tim Neal, Louis McManus, Warumpi Band, Black Kofi Wilbur Wild’s Blowout, Slim Whittle’s Country Bums, Mother Goose, The Herbs, Rikki May, Lynne Randell, Sharon O’Neil, Charlie Tammahai, Leo de Castro, Saba Sisters, James Valentine, Kate Ceberano, I’m Talking, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Uriah Heep, Peter Cook, Spike Milligan, The Bouncing Czeks, Circus Oz, Lobby Lloyd, Babylon The Headless Monstar, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Peter Rotumah, Johnny Young, Yothu Yindi, Wendy Stapleton, Peter Cupples, Phil Manning and Chain, AP Johnson, Wendy Saddington, Kia Kaha, Jake Haitana, Redgum, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Turbo Luv Nuns, They Accidentally Sued Themselves, Goanna Band, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, The Legendary Star-Dust Cowboy, Kali Kali Green, Overthere Tonight, Lion, MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Asambu with Sammy Dadzi, Swingin Sidewalks, Boogie Boy and His Woogies, Arno, Wanda Joostens, Wendy Van Wanten, Roberto Pla and His Orchestra, Dakeye and Detour Posse, Kix Techno Showband, Lady Rebecca Lily, Laem Morrison, Pat Sivarak, Eldee Young, The Flow, Vibe Tribe, The Delta Boys, Michel Jaquet and Gongo Men.
He was also 'Animal' from Hey Hey It's Saturday!
For more information regarding Des and his incredible career, check out his myspace.com page at: www.myspace.com/dizzymacdrummer
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MICK LIBER (GUITAR)
Mick Liber is an Scotland-born guitarist guitarist, who since the late 60's, has been in many different bands, the first of which being, Python Lee Jackson (who backed . Rod Stewart on his "In a Broken Dream" single) After Python Lee Jackson broke up, Mick did a lot of session work and touring, as well as joining early 70's power rock trio, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke (on lead guitar).
For more information about Mick, check out his website at: www.mypage.tsn.cc/mickliber/.
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ROSE BYGRAVE (ORGAN)
Rose Bygrave spent nearly 10 years as a singer/songwriter/keyboard player with the much respected Goanna Band during the 80s and early 90s. During her time with the band, Rose performed in the remotest areas and forged strong bonds with Aboriginal people and their culture. Since Goanna, Rose has pursued her own solo career that has so far included two acclaimed albums, "White Bird" (1999) and "Walking Home"(2001). In 2000, she was invited to be the soloist with the choir during the famous Fire Event of the Woodford Festival. Rose has a long-standing commitment to social justice and this is evidenced in the beautiful title track of her second album Walking Home (which she co-wrote with her partner Barry Hill). Over the years, Rose has performed with artists such as James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Allison Moyet, Mary Black, Seamus Begley, Carlos Santana, Richard Clapton, Rory McLoud, Liam O¹Mainlai, Yothu Yindi and shared stages with some of the worlds finest instrumentalists and singers/songwriters.
For more information about Rose, check out her Official myspace.com page at: www.myspace.com/rosebygrave
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ANGELIKA BOOTH (BASS)
Angelika Booth also played Electric Bass on Peggy Van Zalm's Light Diamond (2006), with fellow WSB member, Mick Liber.
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JAVIER 'HARVEY' FREDES (PERCUSSION)
Javier Fredes is widely regarded as one of the best Latin percussion players in Australia. A professional musician since his early teens his story of the exhilarations and the frustrations of the musical life will resonate with many musicians. Percussionist Javier (Harvey) Fredes arrived from Chile in the mid-1970s after the military coup that brought dictator Augusto Pinochet to power. His father and brother had been imprisoned. They became a family in exile. A professional musician for more than 15 years, Fredes performs in Melbourne's in-demand Latin salsa outfits Los Cabrones and Rumberos, and has teamed up with acts including Kate Ceberano, Ray Pereira and popular electronic outfit Decoy. Fredes, who has made several study trips to Cuba, says he wants to raise the standard of Latino music to the level of professionals in Havana. His family's dramatic escape from the fascist regime of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and their struggle to adapt to "a new everything" in Australia adds another level of poignancy to his story.
Javier is a keen student of Cuban music and culture; he performs regularly with his band Azucar and has collaborated with many musicians from differing cultural backgrounds, including the Lebanese violinist, Fouad Harakka
To read more about Javier and his music, check out the following ABC Australia website link: http://www.abc.net.au/arts/music/stories/mav/javier.htm - or these three bands in which he plays percussion: www.myspace.com/loscabronesgrooves, www.myspace.com/soulgloaus, www.myspace.com/carlosferreiradrums.
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