In the 80s, Brisbane’s The Riptides were on their way to become one of the biggest bands in Australia but the wheels fell off before they released their debut album. That album is finally coming.
Singer songwriter Mark Callaghan recently acquired the 3-decade old master tapes for his band The Riptides and for the first time ever, the historic band will have an official debut album. The title will be ‘Tombs of Gold’.
The once was a Riptides album but it was a posthumous compilation put out by their record label Regular Records after the band broke up and without input from the band. ‘Tombs of Gold’ will be the properly sequenced debut put together by founder Mark Callaghan from the original tapes in the order it was intended.
“It wasn’t an album the band would have made,” Mark said of the 1992 compilation. “This album is finally finished and sounds just like I always wanted it to. It was recorded in our prime but thanks to these great mixes, it also sounds like it could have been recorded this year”.
Funding for the ‘Tombs of Gold’ project came via PledgeMusic. “I’m absolutely loving this,” Callaghan says. “I’m sharing stories and emails with fans one-on-one. It’s amazing to think that The Riptides fans have always been there and that, thanks to places like PledgeMusic, they’re emerging to support this project. It’s both very humbling and incredibly exciting. Despite all I’ve achieved over the years, it’s the hands on approach, the direct connection with fans – the whole DIY thing that’s by far the most satisfying. Just like it always was.”
The album will be released as a limited edition gold vinyl LP, on CD with 8 bonus tracks, and digitally.
Tombs Of Gold vinyl LP:
1. Only Time
2. Day Has Gone
3. Hearts And Flowers
4. Eternal Flame
5. Money For Life
6. Tombs Of Gold
7. Holiday Time
8. Riptide
9. Shake It
10. Sunset Strip (’81) *
11. No Regrets
12. Magic Moments *
13. Everything For Sale *
• Never previously released. All tracks completely remixed & re-mastered.
The Tombs Of Gold CD will have an additional 8 bonus Tracks:
1. Sunset Strip (‘78)*
2. Rules Of Love*
3. Magic Castle*
4. Tomorrows Tears
5. Some Other Guy**
6. Mona Lisa
7. The Wedding Song
8. Sandarama
*These three tracks are from The Riptides’ first independent single. Never before available on CD / digital.
**From second independent single.
None of The Riptides material (all 21 tracks) has ever been available Digitally before (iTunes, Streaming etc.)
‘TOMBS OF GOLD’ released 31st October, 2014.
Available in limited edition Vinyl, CD and digital formats. To pre order the album and find other exclusive pledges visit www.pledgemusic.com/projects/riptides.
The Riptides – 77 Sunset Strip
Mark Callaghan’s early incarnation of The Riptides was in Brisbane in 1977 as The Grudge. The Grudge changed their name to The Neon Steal, then The Numbers, moved to Sydney and changed to The Riptides to avoid confusion with a Sydney band already called The Numbers.
The Riptides appeared on the music TV show Countdown to promote their single ‘Tomorrow’s Tears’. They entered the studio with producer Buzz Bidstrup and recorded the six-track EP ‘Swept Away’. Callaghan and Bidstrup would go on to later form Gangajang.
