Cheek ~ Voxx E.P.
I must admit I don’t know a lot about Cheek and there isn’t much on the net, so I will just write what I can remember about them. Cheek were more than likely a manufactured band judging by this slogan written across their two Australian single releases, it read “An Exercise In Powerpop”. It’s obviously a “Who Knows Who” release with the executive producer being rock jornalist and historian, and Easybeats fan Glenn A Baker. Baker obviously paid for these recordings and two where recorded at the famous Albert Studios with ex Easybeats members Vanda & Young producing. The first song on the EP is actually an Easybeats song, not one of their best either. The other two songs were produced by Charles Fisher (INXS and other big Australian groups). Being a rock writer, Baker also wrote articles and snippets for Greg Shaw’s BOMP magazine in the USA and of course that’s where this release comes from. Shaw released the four songs on his VOXX label in 1980 but ommiting one song for another (Leave My Heart Alone) while Baker released the two singles in Australia in 1977 and 1978. The whole Cheek thing was definately an experiment because only one of the five songs they released was an original composition.
These are some fairly good powerpop versions of some well known songs from The Rolling Stones, The Easybeats, P.F. Sloan and The Rubinoos. “Still In Love” is the only original song and there is no more known recordings from Cheek as far as I know. Maybe Baker has some in the vaults? I’ll ask him next time I bump into him. I believe they have lots of these E.P.s over at Bomp Mail Order still available, well they did a few years back.
They came together, they recorded and then they disspeared forever.
City: Sydney
Year: 1977-1978
Label: Mushroom (Aust) Voxx (USA)
Format: 7″
Song: Do You Have Soul?
Song: Take Me For What I’m Worth
Song: So Much In Love
Song: Still In Love
Song: Leave My Heart Alone
Loading...
Thanks for this, pal! A real lost gem! I like the almost disco rhythm they inject into ‘Leave My Heart Alone’ – shameless!
Collin - August 29, 2007 at 4:58 am
No problemo.
g - September 9, 2007 at 9:27 am
I have to say that I think the only song that truly works here is the Vanda/Young Easybeats tune Do You Have A Soul? That songs just blasts right off the turntable and into your loins with a strut that matches it’s hook. The rest is a bit middling-I thought, not much that would make me believe they wee a good band rather than a producer’s puppets. Sorry-but the rest of those songs do nothing for me. However-for Do You have A Soul I say get this when you see it. I still see copies in bins all over for like 2 or 3 bucks, so it’s totally available and worth it for that song.
Frankie Delmane - October 13, 2007 at 3:15 pm
This sounds really cool! I can’t wait to listen to it! THANKS!!
amusicalguy - December 21, 2007 at 3:50 am
I’m from Sydney and think they were also known as Punkz at one stage – I’ve got a Cheek card out of a breakfast cereal packet somewhere… as well as the vinyl ep – thanks for posting
OzSteve - December 29, 2007 at 12:04 am
Yeah they were called Punkz. good name but totally unsuitable for them. The promo pic above looks nothing like i remembered them. I remember seeing them do Take me for what i’m worth on countdown as Punkz, then So Much in Love With You as “Cheek”. which was a great song. I’m still trying to get that song. The bass player, if i recall right, wore a union jack suit. I remember it from the old ‘Spunky’ magazine.
p.s. Long live Bon Scott.
Derwood - January 2, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Hi everyone. More to this story: Yes Cheek originally were called Punkz and release to singles on the Mushroom label. I have both of these and they are pretty cool and I will post them soon.
powerpop - February 20, 2008 at 9:46 am