Classic Albums-Diamantina Cocktail Little River Band

This week's classic album segment I am looking at the 1977 album by legendary Australian rock group Little River Band called Diamantina Cocktail. This was the group's 3rd album which was recorded @ Armstrong Studios in Melbourne and it was released in May 1977 which went to number 2 in Australia and in the USA it went to number 49 which was the international breakthrough for the group which it went gold and also that some of the tracks on the American version of the album were from the After Hours album. From the Australian version it had the 3 hit singles-Help On It's Way, Home on a Monday and Witchery and from the American version had Help On it's Way and Happy anniversary. This album was the first for both George McArdle and David Briggs who joined when Roger McLachlan and Ric Formosa left and this was to be classic line up of LRB that lasted until 1979 and among the other musicians who played on the album were Tony Buchannan on sax, ex LRB member Ric Formosa and Ian Mason. This album was produced by the band and John Boylan an American producer who had worked with Ricky Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Charlie Daniels and others as well as producing Glenn Shorrock's solo album Villian Of the Peace and Ross Cockle was the engineer. it's an excellent album which still sounds great today as it was 35 years ago and the songs are just brilliant and high quality written by Glenn Shorrock, Beeb Birtles and Graham Goble which stands up very today. It was at this time that LRB was starting to make an impact on the American charts where they would have an huge following and would open the international doors for other Australian acts. the name Diamantina Cocktail is after an fierce frontier brew of Bundaberg rum, condensed milk and an emu's egg and it's in the shops somewhere in the world.