LEVI SMITH'S CLEFS

During the 1960s, Adelaide-born Barrie McAskill earned a reputation as the King of Rock & Roll with his band The Drifters. He also became acknowledged as one of the Australia’s pioneering Soul/R&B singers. A great bear of a man with a commanding presence and gravelly voice to match, McAskill led numerous line-ups of his band Levi Smith's Clefs between 1967 and 2004.

Levi Smith's Clefs initially earned a reputation on the disco /club and dance circuit as a gutsy R&B band, eventually proving to be a breeding ground for the swelling ranks of Australia's progressive music scene. Tully, Fraternity and Southern Contemporary Rock Assembly (SCRA), Mighty Mouse for example, all sprang almost intact from the bosom of the Levis.

McAskill’s philosophy became to encourage his band members to improve as musicians, and for them to move on as the urge arose. Many of them became successful musicians and bandleaders because of his willingness to share his knowledge. More than one hundred musicians have passed through the Levis ranks through the years.

The Levi Smith's Clefs story actually began in Adelaide, South Australia during 1966 when Tweed Harris (keyboard) reformed The Clefs. This early line-up included Barrie McAskill (vocals), Bev Harrell, (vocals), Les Tanner (guitar), Vinnie Jones (drums), John Young (guitar) and Bruce Howe (bass). The Clefs, without Bev Harrell moved to Melbourne and became an in-demand band on the city's thriving club, disco and dance circuit.

When Harris accepted an invitation to create a supergroup, The Groove, in early 1967, McAskill was offered the job as lead singer; however, he decided to assume leadership of The Clefs, which had changed members to Les Stacpool (guitar), Bob Jeffrey (saxophone). Gil Matthews (drums), Doug Stirling (bass) he added Inez Amaya (Vocals). McAskill’s musical ear had changed from pop to what he calls symphonic soul music.

When manager Peter Raphael (The Editor of Go-Set Magazine and proprietor of the Australian Entertainment Exchange) suggested the band be renamed, McAskill decided upon, The Levi Smith Affair (which in a roundabout way had been inspired by the name of the Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs and Smith being one of the biggest listings in the phone book). Tweed Harris asked Barrie would he keep the name of the Clefs in the equation as he had spent many years building it. As a six-piece, Levi Smith's Clefs worked Melbourne and Adelaide then to Sydney where they played the Here Disco and were offered a three-month season at the Whisky Au Go Go nightclub in Kings Cross, this gig turned into a six night a week, (9.00pm till 3.00am), 18-month residency, a long party?

The line-up shifted constantly along the way, with Inez Amaya (vocals), Les Stacpool (guitar, ex-Chessmen, Merv Benton and the Tamlas, The Clefs), Ian Walsh (organ, Jeff St John & the Id), Michael Carlos (organ, Long John Law’s Disco), Doug Stirling (bass, The Blue Jays), John Blake (bass, Little Sammy, Janice Slater and The In People), John “Yuk” Harrison (bass, Ray Columbus & the Invaders, Max Merritt & The Meteors), John Helman (bass, Jeff St John & the Id), Gil Matthews (drums, Max Hamilton and the Impacts) and Jimmy Thompson (drums, Tony Worsley & the Blue Jays) passing through the ranks, some for the second time.

By 1968, the line-up had stabilized with McAskill, Amaya, Carlos, Blake, Mick Jurd (guitar), Richard Lockwood (flute, sax) and Robert Taylor (drums, Johnny Young & Company). The next move, Carlos, Lockwood, Blake and Taylor all left to form Tully, before joining Harry Miller’s Australian stage production of the American “tribal love-rock musical”, Hair in June 1969. When McAskill left The Whisky Amaya also joined the cast of Hair.

Still at The Whisky, McAskill, Amaya and Jurd assembled a new Levi Smith's Clefs with John Bisset (organ, The Mods, The Action), Bruce Howe (bass, Fraternity, Something Purple, The Clefs, Mickey Finn, Some Dream), and Tony Buettel (drums, Bay City Union, Band of Light). This line-up recorded the adventurous Empty Monkey album for the Sweet Peach label. It was one of the first Australian albums to combine Soul / R & B / pop / jazz with a more progressive rock outlook. Ed Nimmervol of the editor of Go-Set & Juke magazines, now Howl Space on the web, reviewed this album and concluded that, “This is the best rock album ever produced in Australia”.Despite being a groundbreaking release in many ways, the album failed to see the success it deserved.

The standout cut was an 11-and-a-half-minute arrangement of The Beatle’s You Can’t Do That. Sweet Peach also lifted two singles from the album, ''Lisa/Roadrunner'' (January 1970) And a cover of Junior Walker’s: ''Shotgun/Who is it that Shall Come'' (April 1970). By the time the album came out in March 1970, Jurd, Bisset, Howe and Buettel were leaving to form Fraternity with Bon Scott and supply the backing for Doug Ashdown’s double album 'The Age of the Mouse', released by Sweet Peach.

McAskill assembled a new Levi Smith's Clefs and returned to Whisky Au Go Go in Sydney. This line-up comprised of Linda Cable (vocals, The Vamps, The Pussy Cats), Steve Doran (keyboards), Peter Karlanek (guitar, Blues Syndicate), Doug Stirling (bass), John Freeman (drums, Red Angel Panic), who was lured away to join Fraternity when Buettel quit, to be replaced by Michael Darby, (drums, Jack Stradbroke & The Action).When McAskill was offered the famous Chequers Night Club where he did another mammoth stint 6 nights a week for a year, another long party. Mike Cousins (trombone, Jeff Duff & Kush), Steve Bowden (trumpet, Daley Wilson Big Band), Bill Harrower (sax), Ken Deacon (Vocals, Everton Park, and Cool Bananas) joined this line up.t wasn’t long before changes developed to, Mick Kenny (trumpet, The Chant), Bob Jeffrey (sax), Jim Kelly (guitar, Kerry Biddel and The Affair, Dal Myles, their manager was at Peter Raphael’s home when McAskill renamed The Clefs). Russell Dunlop (drums, Aesops Fables), John (Yuk) Harrison (bass, Max Merritt & The Meteors, Genesis), Bruce Howard (piano, La De Das), Michael Carlos (organ returned from Tully & “Hair”).

As Barrie McAskill's Levi Smith's Clefs, this band issued a brassy R&B single, “Gonna Get a Seizure/Dancing and Drinking” (April 1971) Chart Records. Throughout 1971, this band held down the residency at Chequers night club in Sydney. Kelly, Dunlop and Kenny then joined Peter Martin’s, Southern Contemporary Rock Assembly (SCRA) when McAskill's season at Chequers finished. 

The Levi Smith’s Clefs went on the road again, line-up changes continued apace with Ted (The Head) Yanni (guitar, Plastic Tears, Maple Lace), Yuk Harrison (bass), Doug Stirling (bass), Allan Turnbull (drums, Don Burrows), Greg Henson (drums, The Rhythm Aces) and Bob Jeffrey (sax), Michael Carlos (organ).Carlos and Henson then joined the backing band for the Australian production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Some of McAskill’s bands became known as The Bear’s Brigade, McAskill, McAskill's Marauders, McAskill’s People, Barrie McAskill and Friends, “McAskill, Murphy, Melouney, Firth and Barns”, God’s Warriors & the Amazons, however he always thought of them as the Levi Smith’s Clefs. Barrie McAskill's People comprised Vince Melouney (guitar; Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Bee Gees, Fanny Adams, Cleves, Flite), Michael Barnes (guitar; Nutwood Rug), Ken Firth (bass, Tully, The Ferrets) and Kevin Murphy (drums, Wild Cherries, The Aztecs, King Harvest, Chain, Leo D’Castro & Friends, Rush): In mid-1972, McAskill reverted to the Levi Smith's Clefs name for the line-up of Doug Stirling, Kevin Murphy, Les Stacpool and Ian Clyne (keyboard, the Loved Ones, Ram Jam Big Band).

By October 1972, McAskill was working with a line-up, which comprised Murphy, Clyne, Mal Capewell (sax, flute, Dr Kandy's Third Eye, Dada, Little Gulliver’s Company Caine), Russell Smith (trumpet, vocals, Ram Jam Big Band, Power House), Phil Manning (guitar, Bay City Union, Chain, Band of Talabene), and Barry Harvey (drums, Chain). A month later, Murphy, Clyne, Capewell, and Harvey broke away from McAskill and became Mighty Mouse.

It would appear McAskill was left high and dry once again, although he has never seen it this way, he says, “there are more musicians for me to meet and I hope it will remain this way for the rest of my life”, “there is always something new to learn, new chemistries to blend and new music to play”.

Members

Barrie McAskill (vocals), Inez Amaya (vocals), Les Stacpool (guitar), Bob Jeffrey (saxophone), Doug Stirling (bass), Gil Matthews (drums), Ian Walsh (organ), Michael Carlos (organ), John Blake (bass), John "Yuk" Harrison (bass), John Helman (bass), Jimmy Thompson (drums), Mick Jurd (guitar), Richard Lockwood (flute, saxophone), Robert Taylor (drums), John Bisset (organ), Bruce Howe (bass), Tony Buettel (drums), Linda Cable (vocals), Steve Doran (keyboards), Peter Karlanek (guitar), John Freeman (drums), Michael Darby, (drums), Mike Cousins (trombone), Steve Bowden (trumpet), Bill Harrower (saxophone), Ken Deacon (vocals), Mick Kenny (trumpet), Jim Kelly (guitar), Russell Dunlop (drums), Bruce Howard (piano), Ted "The Head" Yanni (guitar), Allan Turnbull (drums), Greg Henson (drums), Vince Melouney (guitar), Michael Barnes (guitar), Ken Firth (bass), Kevin Murphy (drums), Ian Clyne (keyboards), Mal Capewell (saxophone, flute), Russell Smith (trumpet, vocals), Phil Manning (guitar), Barry Harvey (drums), Billy TK (guitar)

SINGLES

''Road Runner (#84) / Lisa'' 1969 Sweet Peach
''Shotgun / Who Is It That Shall Come'' 1970 Sweet Peach
''Love Like A Man / Take A Little Piece Of My Heart'' 1970 Chart

''Let's Get A Little Sentimental / Bygone Days'' [with Dave Allenby] 1970 Chart
''Dancing And Drinking / Gonna Get A Seizure'' 1971 Chart

EPs

'The Best Of Whisky A Go Go' 1970 Chart

ALBUMS

'Empty Monkey' 1969 Sweet Peach

References

Levi Smith's Clefs History (mcaskill.com.au)

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/