THE SLIM DUSTY FAMILY SHOW LIVE at Tamworth 1996

ARCA desk tape to be released on January 17th 2025.

The Slim Dusty Family Show LIVE at Tamworth 1996 is the 47th release of the Australian Road Crew Association’s (ARCA) Desk Tape Series.

The Series was created by ARCA to raise badly-needed finances for Support Act’s Roadies Fund to provide financial, health, counselling and well-being services for roadies and crew in crisis.

The live tapes are recorded off the mixing desk by a crew member – here, it was Andrew Rodd, who was part of Slim Dusty’s crew for eight years.

The tapes are released on ARCA’s Black Box Records through MGM Distribution and on all major streaming services.

Over 50 artists have now thrown their hats in the ring to help support those in need.

The ARCA Desk Tape Series is acknowledged in media for its historical importance in capturing great live music from great live acts.

Huge thanx to Anne Kirkpatrick, Robyn MacIntosh, Getty Images and Greg Noakes for the photos, Nprint for the artwork, Phil Dracoulis for the mastering, and especially Slim Dusty and his family, band and crew for their support of roadies and crew.

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The Slim Dusty Family Show LIVE at Tamworth 1996

ARTISTS

• Slim Dusty
• Joy McKean
• Anne Kirkpatrick
• David Kirkpatrick
• Heather McKean

TRAVELLING COUNTRY BAND

• Rod Coe             Bass
• Mike Kerin         Fiddle
• Rob Souter         Drums
• Warren Morgan    Keyboard
• Jeff Mercer        Lead electric & acoustic guitar, dobro
• Ian Simpson       Banjo & acoustic guitar

THE CREW

• Andrew Rodd    Front of House
• David Finch        Monitors
• Matt Lowery      Lighting (courtesy Tamworth Town Hall)

TRACKS

1st Half-

• 1 Man From The Never Never 
• 2 Kelly’s Offsider 
• 3 Indian Pacific
• 4 Patsy Cline Medley: Crazy, Walkin’ After Midnight, I Fall To Pieces
• 5 I’m Little But I’m Loud
• 6 Ringer From The Top End
• 7 By A Fire Of Gidgee Coal
• 8 How Will I Go With Him Mate
• 9 When the Rain Tumbles Down In July
• 10 When The Currawongs Come Down
• 11 Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
• 12 Rock N Roll In A Cowboy Hat

2nd Half-

• 13 Sunlander
• 14 Last Train To Nowhere
• 15 Highway Blues
• 16 Out Of The Blue
• 17 Goodbye
• 18 Whites Of Your Eyes
• 19 Yellow Old Bullcatcher
• 20 Pub With No Beer
• 21 Duncan
• 22 The Biggest Disappointment
• (Presentation to Joy)
• 23 Me And Matilda
• 24 Natural High
• 25 Yodel Medley
• 26 Orange Blossom Special

The Slim Dusty Family Show LIVE at Tamworth 1996 live tape and all the ARCA Desk Tape Series recordings are available through Black Box Records – ARCA (australianroadcrew.com.au) and the following:

https://ffm.to/theslimdustyfamilyshow (paste into browser if it fails to work)

• Amazon
• Apple Music / iTunes
• Black Box Records
• Deezer
• MGM Distribution
• Spotify
• Tidal
• YouTube Music

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TAMWORTH

It was inevitable Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, towering figures in Australian country music, had a significant presence during each Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.

They would arrive in Old Purple, Slim’s 1970 ZD Fairlane, and hang out with the 60,000 attendees. They’d be playing a show, and be guests at one or two of the 50 events, or be nominated for the Golden Guitars awards at end of the festival.

Slim & Joy’s support in the early days was crucial to Tamworth becoming Australia’s Country Music Capital and home to the Gold Guitar Awards.

Joy won the first one in 1973 for writing “Lights On The Hill”, and Slim went on to win 38 of the revered trophies.

In 1996 there was a great excitement at the festival when Dusty announced two shows. One was an onstage reunion of the family, and the next day saw a massive reunion of all the past members of his Travelling Country Band.

PRIME

“As these desk tapes show, in 1996, Slim was in his prime, he was really enjoying singing and performing,” says Rod Coe, his long-term bassist, record producer and music director.

“One of the two reasons for the family reunion was it was the anniversary of Joy writing one of her best-known songs, ‘The Biggest Disappointment’ which he had a giant hit with.

“Slim wanted to acknowledge that by presenting her with a plaque, and also just celebrate that their partnership had been for so long.”

Opening with “They had my future wrapped up in a parcel, and no one even thought of asking me”. The song was about a “quiet country boy” who leaves home to follow his dreams.

He faced “a lot more dinner times than there were dinners” as he exists on nothing, becoming “the biggest disappointment” to his family.

It was covered by Missy Higgins, Dan Sultan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Beccy Cole and Gina Jeffreys.

MUSIC JOURNEY

The concert also celebrated how Slim and Joy began their music journey in the late 1940s.

They met as part of a three-week tour put together by country star Tim McNamara.

It included Dusty, Gordon Parsons (who wrote and recorded the original version of “A Pub With No Beer”, a global hit in 1957 for Slim) and Shorty Ranger.

Joy was part of The McKean Sisters, a duo with her younger sister Heather.

Joy would later recall, “We were nothing alike as people. All the men on the tour were larrikins, but great fun and very talented.”

Due to suffering polio at age 5, Joy had to wear a metal brace with which to walk. It slipped into her shoes.

One time the brace broke her heel in a small regional town, just before a show. McKean panicked. When Dusty found out, he walked around town until he found a shoe repairman.

Back in her room, he softly fitted the brace on.

She thought, “You’re kind and gentle, you’re nothing like the act you put on.”

They married in 1951. Three years later they launched The Slim Dusty Travelling Show.

TEN MONTH TOUR

1964 was the start of the annual Slim Dusty Australia-round tour, a 48,280 kilometres (30,000 miles) journey that went on for ten months.

Joy acted as his manager for 50 years, and wrote some of his biggest hits, as “Lights On The Hill”, “Walk a Country Mile”, “Indian Pacific”, “Kelly’s Offsider”, “The Angel of Goulburn Hill” and, of course, “The Biggest Disappointment”.

Their children, Anne Kirkpatrick and Dr. David Kirkpatrick, also became singer songwriters and recording artists.

“What I remember about the Family Reunion show,” recounts Andrew Rodd, who recorded the show, “is that each new person who came on changed the feel of the show.”

“Ann would be more upbeat, David more middle of the road country.”

Rodd was working at production company A1 Audio when it was commissioned to work on a national tour Dusty did as part of Australia’s Bicentenary celebrations in 1988.

A1 Audio worked with Slim on and off for four years, Rodd handling audio and backline. Eventually, Slim invited him to come over and do front-of-house full time.

“In a busy year with an album to promote, he’d tour for 6 to 8 months a year but in small stages. Maybe three weeks in regional WA, regroup at home (in NSW), then a three-week run in SA.”

There’d be a three-man crew as part of a 12-piece entourage travelling in cars. A young emerging act would be given an opening spot and also be part of Slim’s band.

“He went to places no one else went to, and he did it long before anyone went there.

“There would be cattle stations in the middle of nowhere, with no amphitheatre or stage obviously, and people would come from 150 km and they would be so much fun.

“He had that kind of draw. People liked him a lot because he was a good bloke, what you saw was what you got.”

After Slim, Rodd went overseas with a dance act, returning to join the audio team for the Sydney Olympics. After that he joined production company Norwest working on international tours and corporate jobs.

He then went freelance, and was based in the UK until 2009. He’s now for all purposes retired: “I haven’t pushed the faders in anger for some time although I make exception for blues bands.”

LOYALTY

As the audience excitement on The Slim Dusty Family Show LIVE at Tamworth 1996 shows, and judging by how far they travelled (some from New Zealand and the Pacific) to see him, Slim generated as much loyalty as he showed them.

He and Joy were revered by people on the land, truckers and bush poets – and now a new generation of urban teenagers discovering country – because the incredible detail in the songs signalled an authentic man who walked the walk.

“Lights On The Hill” captured the weariness and boredom of being a long-haul truckie getting closer to home, car lights blinding the driver, and the reality of dying in a crash after hitting a pole.

The Golden Guitar winning song was inspired by Joy’s own experience on June 1971, of pulling a heavy caravan behind their old 1938 Ford “Betsy” on a dark rainy night in the NSW Northern Tablelands, with trucks coming at her with their headlights on high beam.

She was driving from Tamworth to a gig in Warwick. She realised she was on the treacherous Devil’s Pinch near Guyra, so nicknamed by the locals for a drop down the mountain on one side of the narrow road.

She thought, “How long will it take for Slim to find me if I went over the edge?”

The song was finished by the time she reached Warwick in southern Queensland. Slim wanted to record it immediately.

Keith Urban dubbed it “the happiest sad song.”

DUNCAN

Joy also found his second biggest hit “Duncan” after “Pub With No Beer” – also known as “Beer With Duncan” and “I Love To Have A Beer With Duncan” – which reached #1 in 1981.

It was written by Pat Alexander, a life insurance salesman who took factory owner Duncan Urquhart to the Town And Country pub in St Peters, Sydney, hoping to sell him a policy.

He was unsuccessful, but realised that Duncan merely wanted to have a drink with someone.

Joy heard the demo and told her husband, “This is a bit different, put it on and have a listen.”

She added, “You could adapt it to suit all different names and it’s really catchy!”

Sydney broadcaster John Laws of radio station 2UE played it eleven times the first morning.

Young songwriters living in the bush would think they had crappy lives. But when they heard Slim sing about their towns, it gave them respect.

REVERED

Slim and Joy were revered in the indigenous community due to their many and pioneering visits to their settlements.

“Slim crossed all racial divides with music, he pulled a lot of people together,” Troy Cassar-Daley says.

Their concerts saw generations pick up instruments or write songs. Young Mt Isa singer songwriter Edna Cheethem observed, “Every indigenous artist learns to play guitar through one of his songs.

Daughter Anne Kirkpatrick observes, “They had such a special relationship with indigenous communities. It was a national reconciliation with my mum and dad in the ‘60s before anyone even began talking about it.”

Slim took on issues as the history of frontier massacres and Aboriginal pastoral labour during the 1950s and 1960s.

Anne continues, “In the ‘60s my dad was one of the first to write songs that celebrated the contribution that Aboriginal stockman made, like ‘Tall Dark Man In The Saddle’ and ‘Man From The Never Never’, and that was very significant.”

Joy wrote “Peppimenarti Cradle” after the settlement famous for its weaving. “In 1981 when I was having my daughter they sent me as a gift this amazing cradle-work which became a family heirloom.”

PRE-SHOW RITUALS

Rod Coe reveals Slim had pre-show rituals. “He wouldn’t eat, and he’d arrive an hour before and just pace back and forth in the dressing room.

“In his guitar case, he always kept few little mementos: a photo of (bush poet) Henry Lawson, and items from people he met and admired, or played with. That would keep him in the right frame of mind to be Slim Dusty.”

David Gordon Kirkpatrick was born in 1927 outside Kempsey, NSW, on a farm of 300 to 400 acres of leased land up in the mountains.

It was a lonely life, accompanied by his horse and dog, and listening to American country and western on an old radio or wind-up gramophone.

“I did a lot of riding, and that’s where I got the idea of writing songs and singing to myself.”

At 11 years, being lean, he became Slim. The ground on the farm was brown, hence Dusty.

Slim was soon recognised for his moleskin trousers, R.M. Williams Aussie riding boots, a battered Akubra hat, and played Australian-made Maton Guitars.

His lifelong best mate Edwin Haberfield, who lived on the farm next door, became Shorty Ranger and wrote 360 songs. One, “Winter Winds” was a signature song for Slim.

Both bought $3 guitars on the same day. It was Shorty who, after moving to further his career, urged Slim to follow him to Sydney.

Slim’s dairy farmer father “Noisy Dan” was a good fiddler. He and his son would jam on the homestead porch.

In the early ‘40s, Noisy took him to Sydney to audition for Columbia Gramophone Company.

But war had just broken out, and with threat of a Japanese invasion, no one was signing acts.

Then in 1945, with the war ended, Slim was recalled to Sydney and successfully auditioned.

It would break his heart that his dad died on the day war ended in Europe, and he never saw his son achieve music stardom.

Slim cut six tracks, the first one on November 19, 1946, and called “When The Rain Tumbles Down In July” based on winter rain and flooding scenes on the family farm.

WORLD RECORD

Slim held the world record for the longest continuous record contract (over 50 years with EMI), and the second to release 100 albums (Cliff Richard was first) and had 110 titles at the time of his death.

These sold 8 million copies, and earned over 70 gold and platinum album certifications.

There was a big difference between D. Kirkpatrick and S. Dusty which few fans were aware of.

“He was a serious Trekkie, he loved Star Trek,” Anne recounts. “He had mountains of Star Trek merchandise. In his den, he had a model of the SS Enterprise hanging from the roof, a Star Trek alarm clock, and a Klingon dictionary.

“In country towns in the ‘60s, when you wanted to wind down after a show, the only thing on TV were reruns of Star Trek.

“On one of their trips to the States EMI organised for Dad to go to the studio where Star Trek was made. We got pictures of him sitting on Captain Kirk’s chair.

“He used to paint a lot landscapes. He’d take photos when he was on tour and then go home and paint them. His other passion was leatherwork, and collecting old valve radios.”

Slim Dusty regarded the climax of his career singing “Waltzing Matilda” at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics before 100,000 people and broadcast to billions.

Anne: “It was totally goosebumps. David and I were on the stands. Dad had to walk from the underground dressing rooms, playing the guitar and singing.

“We were hoping nothing would go wrong, no tripping, and he just nailed it. The crowd started singing along with him, I’d never experienced anything like that, it was total goosebumps.

“We were so incredibly proud of him. But Dad was more chuffed that he was placed in between Kylie Minogue and Elle McPherson!”

AFTERMATH

Slim Dusty died on September 19, 2003. at his home in St Ives, Sydney at the age of 76 after a long battle with kidney cancer.

He received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and an AM (Order of Australia Medal).

He was given a state funeral at St Andrew’s Cathedral, which included a First Australian smoking ceremony, thousands of mourners led by Prime Minister John Howard, and the Anglican Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen leading the congregation on “A Pub With No Beer”.

Joy McKean OAM (born Mildred Geraldine Joy) died at 93 on May 25, 2023. She was a pioneer in the Australian music, and given every award possible by music and songwriting associations.

Heather McKean died on November 25, 2024. The McKean Sisters had their own radio show Melody Trail and magazine Spurs. She was married to country performer Reg Lindsay, whom she managed and tour managed, and co-produced his TV shows Country & Western Hour and the multi-Logie winning Country Homestead.

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For more information on ARCA, go to https://australianroadcrew.com.au/ and to check out the 41 other Desk Tape releases, go to The Desk Tape Series – ARCA (australianroadcrew.com.au)

ARCA would like to thank the following sponsors of The Desk Tape Series:-

Sponsor                            Industry Roles

• Showtech                         Rigging                           
• CMI                                   P.A and Production                     
• Clearlight                          Lighting                                    
• DSE Trucks                       Transport                                  
• Scully Outdoors               Outdoor Production          
• Gigpower                         Crewing and Staging                            
• Lock and Load                 Crewing                          
• Chameleon Touring        Production and Lighting                        
• JPJ                                      P.A and Lighting                                            
• Novatech                          P.A and Lighting    
• Phaseshift                        Lighting                                    
• Show FX Australia           Pyrotechnics                    
• Event Personnel Australia   Crewing                          
• Norwest                           P.A and Lighting Production
• Nprint                               Artwork

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Ian Peel and Adrian Anderson

ARCA Co-founders and Directors.

Note from founders:-

“ARCA and The Desk Tape Series is a small way we can help our mates get some self-worth and recognition for their contribution to the Aussie music industry and help if they are in crisis. It is a great honour for us to be able to present these memories to all.”

All Hail Roadies and Crew

“Looking after OUR OWN with FEELING and a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE”

All ARCA enquiries contact :

• Adrian Anderson                        0409 789 440
• Ian Peel                                       0415 667 221
• Michael Matthews (Media)         0418 536 637