Leong Lau with East-West Unity Band - Late Night Flyer b/w/ One Dimensional Man (Sunscape, 1977)
I've been a fan of Leong Lau since I first heard his 'That Rongeng Sound' LP a good few years ago now. 'City Bleus', drawn from the album in question was featured on my first Aussie Funk mix, and continues to be one of the most asked-about tracks that I played on it. A well known Australian actor who also happens to collect records once called me from his car phone asking about this song and where he could get hold of it. I had to tell him that he pretty much couldn't! Not long after acquiring a copy of 'That Rongeng Sound', a record dealer informed me that there was also a single from the same recording session as the album, but which contained exclusive tracks. Having no other information to go on, I searched high and low for the single for years. It wasn't until 2009 when i found myself digging through boxes of 45s in a coastal town antique shop that the familiar silhouette of the cedar sunscape label caught my eye. I could barely believe my eyes when I found it. I didn't even try it out on the portable for few of needle damage! I just grabbed it and placed in neatly towards the middle of my stack, hoping not to arouse suspicion - you know the old guys that look at you funny when they see a 20-something guy buying records, wondering what you're up to, or whether you're gonna "list them on the e-bay." But I digress. Not much is known about this single or its origins. Pressing numbers can't be confirmed with a private pressing of this nature (all three Leong Lau releases came out on Sunscape records, with no other releases attributed to the label). What can be said definitively is this: this was not recorded during the same session as 'That Rongeng Sound.' The label shows the unknown 'East-West Unity Band' as his backing musicians, and the music is clearly stylistically dissimilar to the album material. It's original singer-songwriter material, to be sure, but not in a bluesy funk vein, but rather a jazzy rock bent. There's still that inimitable Leong Lau voice, and preachy yet convincing talking-singing delivery that can be heard on the album, but brass and moodiness is replaced with guitar and urgency. Both sides are upbeat and driving. I'll let you make your own mind up about anything more than that. All I know is that I really like it.
