Boomer Boom Box is a new blog series where I’ll be detailing my efforts to build up my personal music library to replace what I lost on commercial radio. As I know others have a taste for similar music, I’ll document where these albums can be purchased, ideally as CDs or FLAC recordings (which can be converted to CD format).
1960s
Feelin’ Groovy Volume 4: Swinging 60s Singles
If you ever listened to Brent James’ Sunday Morning 60’s, this is more or less a flavour of that in CD form. You won’t get the out-takes, or reminiscing of Brisbane at that time, but it does carry the sound track of that time and was compiled by Brent James himself.
JB HiFi have it for sale on their website (and you can find the track listing there too). Last time I was in the Carseldine store, I did see one or two copies there.
Ultimate 60s
This is available through Sanity (with a long lead time from my experience, they seem to have stock of it now), and includes a decent cross-section of the decade. This was one of the first 60s CD compilations I bought — purchased on a gamble, and it paid off.
1970s
Classic 70s
This is a 5-disc set with a lot of the 70s music featured on stations like 4KQ. Both Sanity and JB HiFi carry this.
Living in the 70s (Vol. 4)
(Not to be confused with the Skyhooks album of the same name!) This series is named after the 4KQ radio show of the same name, also which was hosted by Brent James. There are other volumes which are worth checking out if you can find them, but this is the one I have. I purchased mine through JB HiFi Carseldine, which no longer seem to list it on their website.
Brent James lists the tracks on his website.
70 Hits of the ’70s
This is one I downloaded as FLAC yesterday… and am currently playing it as I type this. I stumbled on this looking for Jeff St. John (who had an incredible voice… especially given he was singing from a wheelchair!), and happened to notice this had a lot of songs that I was looking around for.
Z-Digital offer this in FLAC and MP3 formats. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
- Includes 4BC Lost Classic (2022-07-11): John Sebastian – Welcome Back (Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter)
One Hit Wonders (Re-recorded)
These are a lot of the one-hit-wonders from the 70s… most of them re-recorded, so they do sound a little different to what they did on the radio, but it’s the same artists, and are faithful to the songs we know.
Z-Digital have this in FLAC and MP3.
- Includes 4BC Lost Classic (2022-07-13): Alan O’Day – Undercover Angel
Boogie! – Australian Blues, Rn’B & Heavy Rock From The 70’s
I bought this as a digital download for the Spectrum song I’ll Be Gone… but realised it had a lot of the artists that defined the 70s here in Australia, so figured I’d take the plunge on the whole lot. It’s an interesting listen and definitely worth checking out.
Z-Digital have this in FLAC and MP3. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
6 x 6 – The Seventies
This is a deep-dive into the work of 6 iconic (well, 5 and one less iconic) 70s artists:
- Hot Chocolate
- Pilot
- KC & The Sunshine Band
- Mud
- Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
- Suzi Quatro
Z-Digital have this in FLAC and MP3. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.) Amazon have it on CD.
1980s
80s H It’s Huge: Rare & Recycled
Not sure if that album title is right… I guess that’s Z-Digital’s interpretation of the cover! This also appears to be a Brent James production, and includes a lot of one-hit-wonders which you don’t often see in compilations. I downloaded mine in FLAC from Z-Digital, it is also available there as MP3 if you’d prefer that. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
80 Hits Of The 80s
This has a decent smattering of music from that decade. My copy was purchased through JB HiFi Carseldine, however it is no longer listed there. A cursory search suggests Warner Music sell this directly, but are out of stock at the time of writing.
Brits In The 80s
It’s no secret that the UK were big in the 80s, and this set highlights a lot of what they were up to.
Z-Digital have this in FLAC and MP3 formats. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
Just The Hits: 80s
The Just The Hits albums are a series of compilations all covering different eras and genres… this particular one covers a cross-section of the 1980s. My copy I think was a Sanity purchase, but I can’t find it online there. That said, Z-Digital do have it as FLAC and MP3.
100 Greatest 80s
This is an online-only release of 100 tracks from the 1980s. Z-Digital offer it in FLAC and MP3. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
Classic 80s
Another multi-disc compilation with a good cross-section of the 80s decade. This can be purchased on CD from Sanity or downloaded in FLAC or MP3 from Z-Digital. (As of 2022-09-22 it has been withdrawn from Z-Digital.)
Update 2022-07-11: So playing this through for the first time today… the track Thompson Twins – Hold Me Now has a goof-up at the end. Someone made it cross-fade to Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days (which otherwise, does not appear on the album, if you want that song, see Just The Hits: 80s above), which is then abruptly cut off… instead of Thompson Twins fading to silence like it ought to have. Annoying… but maybe I can clean this up using the LP of Into The Gap I have.
- Includes 4BC Lost Classics:
- (2022-07-12) The Nolans – Gotta Pull Myself Together
- (2022-07-15) Sharon O’Neil – Maxine
General compilations
101 No.1 Dad
Yeah, I bought this despite still having my virginity intact… this covers a pretty wide spectrum of 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even some from this century. Sanity sell this one.
Original Artists – Pub Jukebox
I had bought a copy of this for my mother who was wanting Ultravox – Dancing With Tears In My Eyes… but when I had a good look at the track listing, I decided to order a second copy for myself. Again, like the other general compilation, this has a smattering right across the decades.
Amazon Australia sell this. The track listing is viewable on Last.FM.
Molly
This is basically a 3-disc compilation covering some of the work of Molly Meldrum and thus features many artists who made an appearance on the TV show Countdown.
My only gripe with this particular album would be that whilst Murray Head – One Night In Bangkok is featured, they cut off the dramatic introduction! Otherwise it’s a great album.
Amazon Australia sell this, there’s a photo there of the track listing, sadly no one has typed this out.
Recent Comments