JOHN HOOD

                   St Kilda 1978, just out of bed for a promo shoot

Early in 1978 we started to record our first album "Refer To Drawer", a reference to the way rock'n'roll cheques tend to bounce occasionally! Matt Taylor produced the album and we flew in Wilbur Wilde for one day to put down some horn parts.

I remember going home one night after rehearsals prior to the recording and coming up with the concept and structure for Sitting In The Dark. Terry and I had written some other tunes this way as well. I didn't play on this track, but Dave's piano is cool.

We seemed to come to a consensus that we wanted Joe from Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons to put an alto sax solo in to this one. This was duly arranged by flying the master tapes to Melbourne where he did his thing on the track. I think the solo is magnificent, a great R&B solo.

I don't actually remember much about the recording process, except a lot of sitting around waiting to do your thing. I got to play some harp in Cadillac and All Aboard, which features Ivan on the more prominent chromatic minor sound. I also played a little mandolin as well. 

I'm pretty sure that Dave did a lot of the rhythm parts as nobody seemed to trust me. (I'm better on rhythm now). I did get to solo on guitar on Slop Around and She's Into Something.

        These are some photos taken from the album cover.

                                             Reg Zar - drums

                            Howie Shawcross - electric bass and vocals

Refer To Drawer Side One  ...

1. Down In The Bottom (4:00)
2. Slop Around (2:05)
3. I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter (2:24)
4. South Sea Shuffle (3:04)
5. Nature (3:09)
6. She's Into Something (3:12)
7. Chicago Bound (3:20)

                           Ivan Zar  - harmonica and guitar

                           Dave Brewer - guitars, piano and vocals

Refer To Drawer Side Two  ...

8. Cadillac (2:33) 
9. Sitting In The Dark (4:20)
10. All Aboard (4:00)
11. Fast Buck (4:10)
12. Mighty Crazy (4:45)

                           John Hood  - guitars, mandolin and harmonica

                        Terence Charles Serio  - lead vocals

After this album and our two tours, the rest of the guys wanted to move permanently to Melbourne or Sydney to really have a crack at it. I had a partner in Perth with a young son, so I had to say "farewell" halfway through a tour, which was a little sad.

About a month after I left, Reg and Ivan also gave their notice and returned to Perth. They told me that they had lined up a guitar player who had auditioned for my spot and that he was coming over to Perth to play with us.

But that's another story, titled "The Roosters"

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