Johnson Stompers – Bush Telegraph (2015)

01. Write Me A Few Of Your Lines (4:25)
02. Highwater Everywhere (3:18)
03. Hot Tamalies (2:56)
04. Mudsteppin’ (3:10)
05. Step It Up (4:38)
06. Sophisticated Mama (3:36)
07. Pick A Bale Of Cotton Cortar Principio (4:25)
08. Diddie Wah Diddie (3:35)
09. Bush Telegraph (4:45)
10. QR Blues (4:56)
11. Can’t Get Satisfied (3:19)
12. Preachin’ (4:28)

Mathew Moline – vocals, mandolin, harmonica
Nigel Oliver – guitars
Michael Tully – vocals, guitar, bass
Uthal Plantener – percussion, washboard

‘Bout time i thought that i chucked something really rare and really australian into the Lost Treasures mix, well…, as far as finding a copy of it on record goes. It might have been pressed as a demo at some stage, but to my knowledge it only ever was officially released on cassette, but i`m prepared to be contradicted there if someone knows otherwise. The band happens to be a very authentic and energetic blues stomp band who were originally from Townsville in north Queensland. They are called the JOHNSON STOMPERS. They formed in the very early 1990`s and developed a very strong and loyal following in many of the local clubs and pubs around Townsville, in about 1994 they did branch out a little and extended their live circuit to include the city of Cairns and a few other places in north Queensland where they had never played. In the same year, they made the shift to the big smoke of Brisbane and developed a strong cult following in the clubs around Brisbane like they had up north, which continued until 1998 when for personal reasons the band members decided to call it a day. The very rare album which i actually got off an old colleague who i worked with at Wimmers Soft Drinks, a burnt CD in fact of what come off their `rare as rocking horse shit` cassette, is called `Bush Telegraph`, and it ain`t common on CD if it exists out there somewhere, i know a couple of hard-core blues fans who know of the cassette`s existence but they too have never seen Bush Telegraph on CD. A few of the songs could be passed off as disposable country blues which hundreds of American blues bands have recorded anyway, but considering this is an Aussie band who were handicapped from the start by not being in the physical surrounds of the Mississippi Delta to derive their inspiration, i think on an Australian scale this album is up there with the best of them, including Phil Manning. The stand out songs would have to include `High Water`, `Hot Tamales`, `Write Me` and the three instrumental gems `Q.R Blues`, `Preachin` Blues` and `Bush Telegraph` the song. The scoop for all blues fans is that the Johnson Stompers reformed without much fanfare in 2010, they played a gig at the 320 Bar at Spring Hill in Brisbane City i know about a year ago, because a mate of mine went and saw them. Seeing a blues band live is nearly always better than hearing them on disc, and by all reports it was a triumphant return to performing for the quartet. I believe they are still re-formed and playing the odd gig around Queensland, you probably will have more of a chance seeing them live than getting a hold of a cassette copy of Bush Telegraph. Dont let me put you off, i`m not saying it`s impossible, but finding hens teeth might still be easier. ---Tim Badrick, losttreasuresmusicreview.blogspot.com

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