John Campbell Munro - The Kelly Collection
11 tracks: The Journey * A Different Kind of Song * They Will Be Waiting * Never Mind * Stringyback Creek * The Letter * Aaron Sherritt / The Outlaw * Get Ready * Glenrowan * The Trial * When Tomorrow Comes.
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John Campbell Munro - The Kelly Collection
“John Campbell Munro was a multi-instrumentalist, an outstanding singer-songwriter, a companion on stage and in the studio to Eric Bogle for decades, and a very lovely and gentle man who died before his time. This album features the life of the Australian legend Ned Kelly (and his gang) in song, with a host of talented session people. It is highly recommended.”
(Managing Director Ian Green’s Pick Of The Month album, August 2021)
John Campbell Munro was born in Glasgow and “escaped” to Australia at the age of 18 years. Having had a flirtation with folk music in Scotland, John found the local folk haunts in Australia and was soon immersed in the music. He was a founder member of Country Express in 1969 and later Colcannon (Australia) in 1988, but he is probably best known as Eric Bogle’s “sidekick” for decades.
John toured Australia and the World many times with Eric and toured widely with Colcannon, including the UK. John recorded his solo album Plying My Trade for Greentrax in 2007.
John sadly died, far too young, in 2018 after a long battle with cancer. All the songs on this CD are written by John and recorded by Pete Titchener only a few months before John’s death.
Musicians: John Campbell Munro (vocals, guitar and mandolin); Emma Luker (fiddle and backing vocals); Kathryn Ruby (vocals); Kathie Renner (piano); Eric Bogle (vocals); Pete Titchener (rhythm and lead guitar plus vocals); Paul Callaghan (vocals); Roger Montgomery (monologue); Khristian Mizzi (vocals); Rob McCarthy (tenor banjo); Damien Steele Scott (bass) and Jon Jones (percussion). Kathryn Ruby takes lead vocal on Never Mind, Eric Bogle takes lead vocal on The Trial, while Eric, Paul Callaghan, Pete Titchener and Khristian Mizzi share lead vocals on Stringyback Creek.
“This, more than any other musical project that I have ever been involved in, has been a labour of love, as it has been for most of the musicians and others who so freely, generously and unstintingly gave of their time and talents in the creation of this CD. We crafted this presentation of songs not only as a tribute to the masterful musicianship and songwriting of John Campbell Munro, but also because the songs themselves are fine examples of the songwriter’s art and deserve to be heard. But mostly we made this CD because John was our friend and we loved him…”
(Eric Bogle, May 2019)
Ned Kelly - common criminal or folk hero? Hard to say but what is undeniable: he killed three policemen at Stringyback Creek, he robbed banks at Euroa and Jerilderie, he held hostages, traded in stolen livestock and planned to derail a train carrying police to Glenrowan. And he led his brother Dan and his friends Steve Hart and Joe Byrne on a merry dance that took their lives too soon.
Equally certain is that Ned was born into a family of Irish migrants who had fled religious persecution which harboured rebel attitudes. They were conspicuous in the Australian community and attracted the notice of a police force which was in the main inept, corrupt and brutish. The family and its friends were victimised and abused on a regular basis and so major friction between the clan and the authorities was inevitable.
Read more about Ned Kelly in the extensive sleeve notes accompanying the CD.
Other albums featuring John Campbell Munro:
- Eric Bogle and John Munro - The Emigrant And The Exile
- John Munro - Plying My Trade
- Colcannon (featuring John Munro) - Dolphin Bay
- Colcannon (featuring John Munro) - Journeys