Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons – Hats Off Step Lively (1980)

One of the more popular Australian bands of their day, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons was primarily a vehicle for frontman Joe Camilleri, who assembled the group in Melbourne in 1976. The band's lineup fluctuated regularly over the years; in addition to Camilleri, the nucleus consisted of guitarists Jeff Burstin and Tony Faehse, bassist John Power, saxophonist Wilbur Wilde and drummer Gary Young. At the outset, the Falcons were a gritty, sax-powered R&B unit -- a sound dominant on their 1976 debut LP Don't Waste It -- but they remained wildly unpredictable in the years to follow, moving from genre to genre with ease. Whip It Out appeared in 1977, with 1979's Let's Drip Awhile continuing the trend of unsavory album titles; that same year, the Falcons moved to the Mushroom label, soon issuing the LP Screaming Targets. However, after 1980's Hats Off Step Lively fared poorly, the band kept a low profile for several years before announcing their retirement in 1983. ~ Jason Ankeny