aidan nolan is one of that rare breed of songwriters who consistently pen quality songs that are lyrically strong and cover a wide range from ballads to rock. At the same time, aidan's songs have an instant broad appeal due to great melody lines and catchy hooks. So news of the re-issue of "Tales From The Sun" came as a very pleasant surprise to me.

Over the years there have been many fine songs and occasionaly albums released by bands and solo artists that, unfortunately, stay far beyond the hearing of the general public. This is usually due to lack of airplay or the high-priced publicity campaigns required to drive them along. I always felt "Tales" was one of these largely unsighted and unheard albums.

The way the album came about is a long story, suffice to say that the album started out as just aidan, his songs and his acoustic and electric guitars. The basic songs and vocals/harmonies were recorded over some very long, arduous and intensely focused days and nights a short time before aidan was due to depart overseas. In these basic sessions I could already hear how I wanted the general flow of the arrangements to go.  However, we had to be sure that all vocals that were needed were done. There was going to be no second chance from 12,000 miles away.  A good example of what we started out with is the opening track, Spaceman. Aside from the additional acoustic guitar for color, the only other instrument added to this track was aboriginal clapsticks. It needed nothing else and as a result, reflects the type of foundation from which the other tracks were built.

Two other qualities of aidan's helped make the "Tales" sessions work. One is that he has a great sense of the rhythmic and percussive dynamic in his songs which is reflected in his guitar playing. The second is that he has a natural sense of timing which meant there were no problems later when it came to adding backing instruments. Which brings me to the musicians who played on the album. 

Working with talented musicians in a way that allows them to express their own creativity and skills within the arrangement of a song is always a great pleasure and very much the way I prefer to work as I always had specific riffs, patterns, variations, accents, at certain parts of each song. The problem that arose in the recording of "Tales" was that the musicians I wished to use were either travelling in various working/touring bands (Ross Ward, Roy Giles, John A. Bird, George Ambrosio) and/or were also very busy session/television/resident band musicians (Tony Ansell, Doug Gallagher).  So, it was always a matter of getting together when one or other of them was in town for a few days, or had some free time. By deliberately using this small group of players a cohesiveness was provided to the overall sound of the album.

Ross Ward (guitar): A great blues/rock player who has gone on to become known nationally for his distinctive guitar style both solo and fronting his band, Ward's Express. Ross does some fine work on "Tales." Good examples are Wasting My Time, Rock You and One Out On A Limb. But the real treasure is 'Til I Get Me Some Money where he puts real punch into the chorus riff then lets rip with an extended guitar solo that is all unrestrained power and aggression. I recall a good friend, Ulysses Kechayas (who is also no slouch with a guitar) with a smiling look of wonder on his face after he first heard the solo saying,  "I think he just went insane!" Then he asked to hear the track again.

Roy Giles (bass): A gifted, young bass player I had known since he was sixteen, Roy played on every track on "Tales" displaying his broad adaptability across different musical styles. Sadly, Roy died in a freak accident a few months after we finished the recording of "Tales." I have always looked on this album in particular as being a celebration of his life and talent. Great examples are Thursday, Down Again and Laughing.

Tony Ansell (piano): Another highly accomplished musician who also, regretfully, is no longer with us having passed in 2000. Jazz was his real passion and he played in a number of leading jazz outfits and on literally thousands of recording sessions of all types over his career. A good grab of this love of jazz features in the song Thursday. His piano work on Sweet Soft Summer Sound, Rock You and Can't Go On Like This adds just the right edge to each track.

John A. Bird (piano): John did a lot of sessions and played in a number of successful Australian bands during his career but he is perhaps best known for his work with Greg Quill's Country Radio. John A. has his own style when he hits the ivories and it added a key ingredient on 'Til I Get Me Some Money and Down Again.

Doug Gallagher (drums): A great drummer and percussionist who has now spent a lifetime playing in top jazz and big bands as well as session work for recording, television and overseas artists touring Australia. Doug provided drums and percussion on all tracks with the exception of Rock You and Can't Go On Like This.  The best example would be on the heavily percussive Q, with Melanie Moonbeam, One Out On A Limb and Thursday not far behind in showcasing his talent.

George Ambrosio (drums): I have an abiding memory of George from the "Tales" session he played on. The air-conditioning had broken down in an Australian summer making the temperature in the studio plus 40 degrees Celsius. George had arrived in jeans and T-shirt but the tracks Can't Go On Like This and Rock You required very powerful and energetic drumming. Within a couple of run-through's the T-shirt was off and the sweat was flowing freely. I think George probably lost a couple of kilo's that day.

Alan Luchetti (flute): A terrific flute and recorder musician that I had the pleasure of working with for a number of years. Alan used an exotic wooden recorder from Africa on Q and provided the soft, melancholy flute lines in Thursday.  While small, these are crucial aspects of those songs.

It took a bit of jockeying around all the schedules, etc. but over a couple of months we got everything down and mixed. I have always been very pleased with the way the album turned out and very disappointed that it never got the airing it deserved. However, now that it has gone on to become a collector's item provides me with a renewed sense of satisfaction with the efforts we made back then.  I hope that this time round more people will get to hear this great Australian singer/songwriter. I am sure aidan's new album, No Straight Lines, will be another collection of memorable songs and I'm looking forward to it.

John J Francis - Sept., 2008

In his modesty John neglects to mention that he played piano on One Out On A Limb, percussion on Thursday, and other tracks, as well as arranging, mixing, producing and promoting Tales From The Sun.  It was John that ensured its release in Europe and John that first made me feel I could actually write a "bloody good song!" That's one of many reasons why I respect and admire him so much.  The other reasons are his own remarkable abilities and his wonderful nature.

aidan nolan - Sept., 2008 as well

aidan's notes - Tales From The Sun

Sometime too long ago to remember my then publisher sent me to a studio in Sydney, Australia to make a demo of a few long forgotten songs I'd written. On that day I met a remarkable man - John J Francis. Some people have a presence that strikes you immediately and John is one of these. I remember laying aside any "singer/songwriter" ego that I had on that day and just doing what John said, when John said, how and where John said to do it! Most certainly I didn't ask why?!

However, by the time John had engineered/produced that little demo session I had developed considerable respect for him and we began to work, from time to time, on other songs I had. John's ambitious creativity combined with an emotive decision-making process was in sharp contrast to my own impatience to get done and move on. I confess, I much prefer writing a song to recording one.

Tales From The Sun, more than anything else, is a tribute to the people who built a lasting monument on the rather fragile foundation I laid as simple vocal and guitar tracks. The first challenge was getting me to play a whole song through without too many mistakes that couldn't be "covered up in the mix" as John would kindly explain. Then there were a number of days-long vocal sessions where I recall John J beating me regularly around the ear-phones with compound verbs and artful adjectives. Eventually, I did things vocally I had never imagined I could.

I did think the songs were nice little ditties that might get a foot or two tapping and put a smile on a face, but I had reached a point where I wanted to do something quite different musically. Something where risks could be taken and experiments allowed to fail. John J gave me that opportunity and we ended up with something that reviewers and musicians, buyers in Europe and Australia, and collectors to this day, if never radio, found interesting and satisfying.

Then John J set about layering on drums and percussion by Doug Gallagher and George Ambrosio well complimented by Roy Giles' bass, John A Bird and Tony Ansell's keyboards, Alan Luchetti's flute tracks and Ross Ward's guitar leads that also feature on the new release No Straight Lines. John himself also played a variety of instruments such as piano and congas.

I was amazed, when I heard it, that Spaceman was left down to my guitar and vocal tracks. A miniscule percussion track and the effects god. Further, that my little prayer for my future was perceived as a worthwhile opening song. So, I was much relieved to find added orchestration utilizing the expertise of the above "real" musicians on all the other tracks.

Overall, the songs are about life as I was experiencing it at that time. I was mostly really enjoying myself and looking forward to the future, with the occasional "bad day" of course. Like many people in their early adult years I was also wondering about my reality, and lack thereof! I didn't think my lyrics would change the world but I have noticed that throughout my life they have documented, and sometimes sign-posted, the changes in me.

The simple things in my life really have always been the best, like my friendship with Douglas Holleley who photographed and designed the cover for Tales From The Sun and now No Straight Lines. As for the other contributors in 1974, some are still professional musicians, others have taken another path and sadly, some are gone.

Thank you to all those who made Tales From The Sun possible. It was 35 years ago we did this, I guess the fact that this work is being re-released by popular request implies we did it good. Thank you very much popular requestors!

aidan nolan

New York 2009