Errol Gray



I'm just writing to give you some details about my new CD THE BACKYARD BALLADEER. 15 brand new tracks recorded at Steve Newton's Enrec Studios with the musical help of Steve, Lloyd Jansen and Linda Newton. In the same vein as my previous album BUGGER ME DEAD!, the songs and stories take a lighthearted look at everyday situations and issues that affect us all.
This time around, government bureacracy - WORKING FOR CENTRELINK, Indian call centres - I WANT TO TALK TO A PERSON, and my train ride from hell on the XPT - TRAINS all get the treatment. I've even found a way to slow terrorists down - just round them up, give them a fishing rod and a beer, put them in a tinny and send them up a river. They'll be so laid back and relaxed, they'll never want to blow anyone up ever again - TAKE ME WHERE THE WHITING ARE BITING. There's even a couple of songs for all the muso's out there. HOW COME I'M NOT FAMOUS is the story of a hapless muso playing to the bar staff and a couple of indifferent drunks at the local RSL Club on Friday night after the meat raffles, ( a scene played out in clubs across the nation every friday night). BROWNEYE GIRL - Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" is one of the most requested songs at any "live" gig (just ask any muso). I got sick of the requests (mainly from drunken women), so I've written the Australian version - YOU CHUCKED A BROWNEYE GIRL! (and the drunken punters don't even know the difference). I've even had a go at myself in JUST CALL ME EARL - having gone through life with a name that sounds awfully close to that famous English breakfast tea "Earl Gray", I can empathise with the poor buggers who have been stuck with unusual and weird names. That's just a few of the tracks on the CD. For a listen to 3 of the songs from THE BACKYARD BALLADEER or to purchase a copy, just go to www.errolgray.com.au for all the details.
THE BACKYARD BALLADEER UPDATE
All the best for Christmas and a happy and safe new year! I'm just writing to let all of you know what I've been doing and what's happening next year. My country comedy CD BUGGER ME DEAD has been very successful for me, with airplay right around Australia thanks to the good folks in community radio. As a result, I've had to leave the beach and my comfort zone here in sunny Sawtell and get out on the road and do a bit of touring in Queensland and New South Wales. Even though sometimes the audience is small in number, the response has been fantastic and a lot of new friendships have been made along the way. Over the Christmas period I'll be performing my one man show THE BACKYARD BALLADEER here at home at the Sawtell Hotel on Thursday 28th Dec, Wednesday 3rd Jan, and Wednesday 10th Jan. THE BACKYARD BALLADEER has been evolving and fermenting for the last 5 years or so and is now a 2-3 hour show looking at the world from the viewpoint of a geriatric beachboy sitting on his back verandah on the north coast of NSW. Chooks, mango trees, lawnmowers, beer, hair loss and cellulite all seem to be recurring themes, which is a bit of a worry (I'll leave that one for the shrinks to figure out). As well as my own songs, I throw in a few Aussie classics from Slim, JW and Paul Kelly to name a few. If you're on the north coast over the holidays call in and say g'day. Later in January, of course I will be going to Tamworth and you can catch THE BACKYARD BALLADEER at the following venues:- Friday 19th Jan. Tudor Hotel 2pm Saturday 20th Jan. City Plaza (Kmart) 12 noon Sunday 21st Jan. Tudor Hotel 12.30pm Monday 22nd Jan. Peel Inn, Nundle 12 noon Tuesday 23rd Jan. Tudor Hotel 12.30 pm and City Plaza (Kmart) 4pm Later in the week I'll be back on the coast with Col Elliott at Yamba on Thurs 25th and Forster Fri. 26th Jan. In March or April I will be recording a new CD at ENREC Studios in Sydney for a June or July release. At this stage it will be called THE BACKYARD BALLADEER, with all new original material. This time around subjects such as call centres, trains, kids names and terrorists all get the treatment. Photo of myself in action (accompanied by my little mate "Frank"
the bantam rooster) at the North Beach Bowling Club one Sunday arvo.
For more info, gig guide and CD sales you can check out my website www.errolgray.com.au . Cheers, Errol

BUGGER ME DEAD! it's .....ERROL GRAY Armed only with his acoustic guitar, harmonica and footbox, Sawtell based singer/songwriter ERROL GRAY, performs Australia's most loved songs from TRUE BLUE through to KHE SAHN. From the poignant and thought provoking (I WAS ONLY NINETEEN, I REMEMBER ENGLAND {ERROL'S award winning composition dealing with the plight of child migrants}) to the totally ridiculous (THANK GOD I'M UNEMPLOYED , TALK TO YOUR CHOOKS), from bush singalongs (HOME AMONG THE GUMTREES, WALTZING MATILDA) to rock classics (TO HER DOOR, COME BACK AGAIN), ERROL'S show has something for everyone. As well as a vast repertoire of crowd favourites, ERROL features his own songs from his previous CD's and his current release BUGGER ME DEAD...TALL TALES AND TRUE FROM AN AUSTRALIAN BACKYARD. As you can tell from the title, the album is a tongue-in-cheek look at the world from a battler's point of view with a distinctly Australian sense of humour. After seeing ERROL'S show it is not surprising to learn that before concentrating on his own one man show, ERROL worked for six years as JOHN WILLIAMSON'S stage manager on his Australasian tours. In fact JOHN calls ERROL "Sawtell's Jimmy Buffett." Bugger Me Dead! is a collection of Errol's most requested comedy songs from his "live" show, consisting of 7 previously released songs and 10 new tracks. New titles Ducks Guts on Toast, Old Fart and Backyard Blitz join old favourites Thank God I'm Unemployed, The Lawnmower Man and Talk To Your Chooks to provide a cultural insight to the real Australia.

PREVIOUS ALBUMS
The Complete Sons of the Soil 1986 - Errol formed the country rock band Sons of the Soil with his talented longtime friends Lloyd Jansen and Kelvin Nolan in Sawtell in 1986. With 18 great songs, slick picking and great harmonies, this album is as fresh today as it was back then.
Another Day in Paradise 1993 - Errol's first solo album reflecting the coastal way of life he enjoys so much. Featuring 12 of Errol Gray's originals such as Another Day in Paradise, The Women of Winton and This Is Our Town.
Journeyman 2000 - Featuring 6 studio tracks and 10 tracks recorded "live" at the Sawtell Hotel, this is Errol's most popular album. As well as his usual "beach ballads", Errol begins his foray into the world of comedy with cultural gems like Jenny Craig, My Oilspot is Still On Your Driveway and Thank God I'm Unemployed.
I Remember England (A Child Migrant's Story) 2003 -This single was inspired by Errol's old mate and former child migrant Mick Snell, who opened Errol's eyes to the plight of the thousands of child migrants who were shipped to Australia from England last century, only to lose their original identities and be used as virtual child slave labour. They call themselves The Forgotten Generation. You can purchase these CD's by dropping a line and sending a cheque or money order to :- Errol Gray, 44 Playford Ave, Toormina NSW 2452. (Prices quoted are AUD and include postage and handling. Bugger Me Dead ...........................................$25.00 The Complete Sons of the Soil..............................$15.00. Another Day In Paradise.....................$15.00. Journeyman.............................$15.00. I Remember England.................$10.00. (All 5 CD's.......................................$50.00)
Errol is a singer songwriter from Sawtell NSW with a long connection to Tamworth since 1980 with bands such as The Goodtime Band with John Green, Steve Newton & Jazzer Smith and later with Sons of the Soil. Errol has been releasing his own CD's since 1993 and has just released a new CD of comedy songs "BUGGER ME DEAD!"

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