THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,867) Dave Miller, Leith Corbett and Friends — “Reflections of a Pioneer”
The Dave Miller Set (see #1,010) set sail from New Zealand to Australia, and when the sun set on the band, Miller teamed up with former bandmate Leith Corbett to record an LP that included the exquisite, easy-going “country-tinged psychedelic pop” of the title tune/A-side (New Zealand Music of the 60’s, 70’s and a bit of 80’s, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090915214845/http://www.sergent.com.au/davemillerset.html), which ranks with Ola and the Janglers’ “La, La, La” (see #323) as having one of the great “la la la” refrains. It was “inspired by the life of his grandfather”, who had recently died at 98 years of age. (https://www.45cat.com/record/ek4002)
The definitive MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975 tells us:
After the breakup [of the Dave Miller Set], Dave had a short holiday . . . and he began working on new songs. John [Robinson], Leith and Mike [McCormack] stayed together and in April 1970 they recruited Neale Johns as their new lead singer. . . . Renamed Blackfeather, they became (albeit briefly) one of the most successful and celebrated Aussie bands of the early 70s with their classic single “Seasons Of Change” . . . and their debut album At The Mountains Of Madness. . . . Leith and Mike both left Blackfeather shortly after it formed, but Leith and Dave had remained close. Leith was a regular visitor at the Miller home . . . and it wasn’t long before the pair had developed the idea for an album. Through the winter months of 1970 they wrote the songs — Dave wrote nine of the 11 tracks that ended up on the LP — and then recorded the backing tracks, playing all the instruments except the drums and producing themselves. It is surely the first duo project of its kind in Australian rock. It’s a very individual and innovative work, blending influences from heavy rock, folk, progressive, psychedelia and country. Even if it’s not entirely perfect, it still has a lot of value . . . their first venture into the album format . . . their first major outing as songwriters. . . . [and] self-produced . . . . Dave: “I enjoyed working with Leith. It was very concentrated, very tiring, very high energy, but the pair of us bounced off each other. To this day it’s one of the happiest musical projects I’ve ever been involved with, and for that I’m grateful to him … it was just fun to do!” The LP was released in around September 1970 with the evocative title Reflections Of A Pioneer . . . .
Dave recalled that “For the first time, in my musical life, I had the luxury of time! I set about writing with no pressures, and it become a fulfilling way to move on past The DMS.” (https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/dave-miller/)
As to Dave Miller and the Byrds and then the Dave Miller Set, New Zealand Music of the 60’s, 70’s and a bit of 80’s says:
Dave Miller and the Byrds came from Christchurch, before moving to Auckland in 1965. They were one of the best R&B cover acts to appear in the early sixties, faithfully reproducing all manner of Chuck Berry and Chicago blues originals on stage. . . . In 1962 Phil Garland formed the Playboys . . . . [a] later version of the Playboys consisted of Graeme Miller, John O’Neill, Kevin O’Neill, Brian Ringrose, Phil Garland and Dave Miller. Phil left the group and with Dave Miller as the lead singer, and a couple of more personnel changes, they very shortly afterwards renamed themselves Dave Miller and the Byrds. After arriving in Auckland, they soon became a top attraction on the club scene. The group came to the attention of Eldred Stebbing [owner of the Zodiac label] and he soon had them into his studio to do some recordings. “Bright Lights, Big City”, a cover from the Pretty Things [see #82, 153, 572, 1,327], was their first single on Zodiac in 1965 . . . and it performed quite well on the local charts. . . . In 1967, [two members departed and] the rest of the group renamed themselves the Dave Miller Set and moved to Australia.
Not long after their arrival, the band fell apart and Dave put together a new line-up with John Robinson on lead guitar. . . . A recording contract was negotiated with Spin Records . . . . In 1969 . . . John Robinson emerged as a fluid and inventive guitarist and the Dave Miller Set attained prominence as one of the first heavy rock bands on the local scene in the Led Zeppelin mould. Under the direction of Festival’s in-house producer Pat Aulton, the band cut its fourth single, “Mr Guy Fawkes” [see #1,010] . . . in July 1969. . . . By 1970 the group was near its end. . . .
https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090913081842/http://www.sergent.com.au/davemill.html, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090915214845/http://www.sergent.com.au/davemillerset.html
See http://www.milesago.com/artists/dms.htm for a definitive history of the Dave Miller Set.
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