Max Merrit & The Meteors "Stray Cats" 1971

…In Sydney the top Aussie bands were Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and Ray Brown and the Whispers, joined by NZ's Ray Columbus & The Invaders. When Thorpe's band deserted him over a pay dispute, Thorpe filched The Meteors' rhythm section. Max was convinced that it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the band. “We were starting to get noticed – it was a great band and Ted and Johnny held it down, a great rhythm section. I've always believed that Thorpie and John Harrigan (Thorpe's manager) were concerned about our growing popularity.”..

…When bassist Billy Kristian and drummer Jimmy Hill of The Invaders heard that The Meteors required a rhythm section, they offered their services, leading to The Invaders’ demise. Hill didn't last long, just enough to record a single for Parlophone ('Zip A Dee Doo Dah'), departing on the eve of a national tour supporting The Rolling Stones after a punch up with Merritt. Bill Fleming was hurriedly pulled in and at the end of the tour Bruno Lawrence was recruited. Lawrence shared Merritt’s love of black American music and soul music soon dominated the repertoire and in July 1966 a double-sided single, 'Shake'/'I Can't Help Myself' (covers of Sam Cooke and the Four Tops respectively) indicated the band's new direction and provided the band with their first Australian chart entry.
During a New Zealand tour shortly after, The Meteors recorded what became Max’s theme song. ‘Fannie Mae’ was a raw blues and Stateside hit for Buster Brown but a brass-driven rocker as arranged by John Charles at HMV’s Wellington studio. In Christchurch, Mike Rudd, creating waves at the time with his band Chants R&B, was impressed by Merritt’s new musical direction. In 2011, he paid tribute:
I heard that Max and the band were in town
So I picked up my girlfriend and we headed on down
But I wasn’t prepared for such a mighty sound
He was a soul man ...
When he left town he just played rock & roll
But when he came back again he played a whole mess of soul
He laid down the groove, he had total control
He’s a soul man ...
‘Soul Man – A Tribute To Max Merritt’, Spectrum, 2011, words & music by Mike Rudd
Back in Sydney, it was a hard graft. Graham Dent wanted the band to move onto the lucrative cabaret circuit, resisted by Merritt, and in the new year he secured the band a Pacific cruise.
Billy Kristian, a tee-totaller, had grown tired of it, and Peter Williams, his role diminishing, had his own plans. Both handed in their notice on the eve of the cruise. At Lawrence’s suggestion, saxophonist Bob Bertles was brought in to bolster the sound. The quintet took to the high seas and, well, it was one alcohol-fuelled party. During the Auckland stopover Bruno took the partying ashore and didn’t make it back. Max played drums on the final leg to Sydney, where Kristian and Williams formally departed. Dent, in frustration, resigned as manager. Without a band, Merritt convinced Bertles to stay on. Bertles, in turn, recommended jazz drummer Stewie Speer, and the line-up was completed with John ‘Yuk’ Harrison, recently arrived from Auckland. Harrison had been a journeyman bass player since the early 60s. A renowned party animal, Yuk fitted in very well with the new Meteors. - to be continued - audioculture...

trax:
1. Good Feelin' 2. Peace Brother Peace 3. I Can't Wait 4. Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham 5. Twenty Four And A Half 6. Hey Jude 7. Proud Mary 8. Now It's Up To You 9. Hush 10. Medley: Wichita Lineman/Do What You Gotta Do 11. G-Goooood Fee-Feelin' 12. Live Levis (Bonus) 13. Let It Slide (Bonus)
…served by Gaius…