User:WWGB/LRB album

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Little River Band is the self-titled debut album by the Australian pop/rock group Little River Band. It spawned three hit singles and launched the group at Australian and international level.

Track listing
Side 1


 * 1) "It's A Long Way There" (Goble) – 8:41
 * 2) "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" (Birtles) – 3:41
 * 3) "Meanwhile..." (Shorrock) – 3:55
 * 4) "My Lady and Me" (Birtles, Goble) – 5:16

Side 2


 * 1) "I'll Always Call Your Name" (Birtles) – 4:48
 * 2) "Emma" (Shorrock) – 3:28
 * 3) "The Man in Black" (Shorrock) – 5:07
 * 4) "Statue of Liberty" (Shorrock) – 3:34
 * 5) "I Know It" (Goble) – 3:26

CD bonus track


 * 1) "Please Don't Ask Me" (Goble) – 3:18

The album
The principal singer/songwriters of LRB (Glenn Shorrock, Graeham Goble and Beeb Birtles) came from a strong background in popular music (The Twilights, Axiom, Mississippi, Zoot and Esperanto. Together, they had over 60 songs under consideration for their first album.

"It's A Long Way There"
Watch the video

"Curiosity (Killed the Cat)"
This song was written by Birtles while working in London with the band Mississippi. It was Little River Band's first single released in Australia, their earlier choice ("When Will I Be Loved") having been released by Linda Ronstadt ahead of LRB. "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" was sent to disk jockeys with a packet of cat food, gaining attention and airplay. The single reached the Top 10 in Australia. “Graeham Goble’s wife had been given a kitten, which I would see running around the house we shared, and the idea for Curiosity (Killed The Cat) came to me. The lyrics in the song pertain more to me being the crazy cat and my girlfriend at the time being the one to keep me on an even keel. It’s a song about hope and hanging on to your dreams no matter what!” (Beeb Birtles)

"Meanwhile..."
Released as the B side of the "It's A Long Way There" single in Australia. Shorrock re-recorded this song as the title track of his 2007 solo album Meanwhile ... Acoustically.

"My Lady and Me"
Sample lyric: "We're still on the make with a one man show".

"I'll Always Call Your Name"
Released as LRB's second single in the United States, it did not perform well on the charts. Its strident harmonies have made it a favourite at Birtles Shorrock Goble's reunion concerts.

"Emma"
Shorrock's song was recorded, but never released, while he was a member of the band Esperanto. It was LRB's second Australian single, again reaching the Top 10.

"The Man in Black"
It was described by All Music Guide as a "hauntingly beautiful movie-within-a-song".

"Statue of Liberty"
Another song from Shorrock's Esperanto days, released on their album Esperanto Rock Orchestra. It was inspired by the final scene in the film Planet of the Apes, and Shorrock's observation of Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War.

"I Know It"
Sample lyric: "I'm still there locked in her mind".

Little River Band

 * Graeham Goble – lead & harmony vocals, vocal arrangements, acoustic & electric guitars
 * Glenn Shorrock – lead vocal
 * Beeb Birtles – lead & harmony vocals, acoustic & electric guitars
 * Ric Formosa – lead guitar
 * Roger McLachlan – bass
 * Derek Pellicci – drums

Supporting musicians

 * Geoff Skewes – clavinet
 * Stephen Cooney – mandolin
 * Peter Jones – piano
 * Ian Mason – piano
 * Garry Hyde – percussion
 * Col Laughnan – sax
 * Peter Jones – strings (arranged & conducted)
 * Ric Formosa – strings ("The Man in Black")

Billboard charts
Album

Single