Hamilton County (The Hamilton County Bluegrass band) (LP 4337 - 4347)

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band (Vinyl, Festival Records, 1967) ****  

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Recorded Live at Poles Apart (Vinyl, Kiwi Records, 1968) ***** 

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  The Country Touch (Vinyl, Kiwi Records/ World Record Club, 1968) ****

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Yesterday's Gone (Vinyl, Kiwi Records/ World Record Club, 1969) ****

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Fifth Season (Vinyl, HMV Records, 1970) *****

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  In Concert: Live at the Wynyard Tavern (Vinyl, HMV Records, 1971) ****

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Kersbrook Cottage (Vinyl, Columbia/EMI, 1972) ****

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Country Road (Vinyl, Kiwi Records, 1974) ***

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Orange Blossom Special (Vinyl, Sound Value Records, 1982) ***

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  Way Down South (CD, Kiwi Pacific Records, 2008) ***

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band  These Old Hands (CD, HBCC Records, 2016) ****

Genre: NZ Music, country, bluegrass, folk 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, various second hand shops, Viking Haul, Slow Boat Records, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hey Boys (Fifth Season)

Gear costume: Fox on the Run (Anthology); I'm Gone (These Old Hands)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Over the years I have turned into a completist for this band. They got their hooks into me early on, in 1971, via Hey Boys' appearance on the Loxene Golden Disc of that year, which was crucial. Hey Boys was a standout that has stayed with me ever since. It's a true classic.

It also helped that I was a huge Beverley Hillbillies fan - Flatt & Scruggs' theme is embedded deeply into my brain.

The band on that debut from 1967 featured Dave Calder (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Alan Rhodes (guitar, lead vocals), Paul Trenwith (banjo, guitar), Sandy McMillian (bass), Len Cohen (harp, vocals, guitar) and Colleen Bain (violin). Colleen was yet to marry Paul, hence the maiden name for the first few albums.

The template was set on the debut - authentic bluegrass with a Nu Zild twist thanks to the accents and the sense of Kiwi humour. It's a terrific blend, and given they'd only been at it for two years, remarkable in its execution. 

Clearly, Paul Trenwith's banjo, Colleen's violin, Dave's mandolin and Alan's guitar and vocals were strengths right from the start. As amateurs they all had day jobs or were students at Auckland University, and Colleen only joined in 1967. Incredible, but that's NZ in the sixties for you.

BTW - My much-loved copy has Paul and Colleen's autographs on the back cover. Just saying. 

Live, the band are brilliant! Recorded Live at the Poles Apart is a stunning record. It is recorded brilliantly too - so that I feel like I'm in the room with the audience; the warm ambience of the club suits the band - as they drive on thanks to the enthusiasm; those Kiwi accents in the stage introductions are priceless; the selection of material is first rate. This album is a winner!!

Their second studio album was The Country Touch - there was a popular TV show called that, so this was an attempt to ride that wave. It shows the band developing their confidence. The material and approach will remain the same throughout their career. If it ain't broke - don't fix it!

My World Record copy came with a nifty bio sheet with some great song notes by Dave Calder. The bio bits note that Colleen is a teacher, new member Lyndsay Bedogni on bass is a student, Dave is a teacher in Hamilton, Len is a teacher in Auckland, Alan is a mechanic and Paul is a draughtsman. These are solid people! Three teachers!! 

After three albums, they turned professional and released their third studio album - Yesterday's Gone. It's another excellent set of songs. Each album improved upon the last in terms of production and musicianship. Black Mountain Rag is a good example from this album. This was Len Cohen's last album. The band continued onwards as a five-piece.

Fifth Season saw a slight departure away from traditional bluegrass into some covers of some contemporary songs (Proud Mary, Carolina in my Mind). Peter Dawkins, a legendary NZ producer, was a key new ingredient. The singing and harmonies are superior on this album. A lot of care and thought has been made to present the band in its best light.

Overall, the big different is the separation of instruments and layered effect in the mix. It sounds great! That makes this the best HCBB album to this date! And it's the one with Hey Boys on it.

The Live at the Wynyard Tavern album is yet another brilliant album. Like Poles Apart, the band are in their element in a smallish live setting. There is some lovely gentle Kiwi humour, some terrific harmony vocals and another set of great songs. Highlights aplenty here: Cindy (is funny in a good way),

Band news sidebar: Colleen Bain became Mrs. Colleen Trenwith after this album. In 1971, the band moved to Australia and Dave Calder left to travel to Europe.

Kersbrook Cottage returns to the multi-tracked approach used so successfully on Fifth Season. The highlights are aplenty again but special mention goes to the title track which has some superb harmonies, and some sterling covers of John Denver and Dylan songs.

Returning to NZ, they released their next album - Country Road in 1974. The album is named for the TV show they'd appeared on. Miles Reay was now on bass, and Graham Lovejoy on mandolin and vocals. 

They wouldn't last too long either. After also being replaced, Paul, Colleen and Alan decided to pack it in for a spell. Paul and Colleen then released some albums under their own name (we'll come to them later in the countdown) before the band reconvened in the 2000's.

In 1982, EMI approached Paul Trenwith seeking permission to use some unreleased Hamilton County Bluegrass Band tracks from the 1971 For You sessions. The six songs were released on the company’s budget label in 1983 as Orange Blossom Special, which also included tracks from For You and Kersbrook Cottage as well as the title track recorded by the Trenwiths and studio musicians in 1975.

Way Down South emerged in 2008.Colleen, Paul, Alan and a returning Dave Calder were joined by Tim Trenwith on bass and vocals. Paul and Colleen had separated amicably in 2003 and while she was living in the U.S. she recorded her fiddle parts. 

The majority of the tracks are composed by band members as they make a welcome return to their signature sound for this album, rather than the more mainstream country of Country Road.

Even better was to come with These Old Hands. Only Paul and Alan remain from the original band. They are joined by Tim Trenwith, Keith McMillan (mandolin) and Pam Findlay on guitar and vocals. Pam's vocals are especially welcome. She brings a freshness to the songs, but really this is Alan and Paul's band and those vets deliver once again.

Where do they all belong? There are still some albums that I'm pursuing: Two Shades of Bluegrass (with singer Bill Clifton) on Kiwi Records; For You (made in Australia 1971); and Encore (1990s with Dave Calder back in the band).