Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band - Wangaratta Wahine (1974)

Wangaratta Wahine is the second full-length studio album by the iconic Australian band The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, released in late 1974 on Image Records. The record cemented the band's status as one of the most eccentric acts of the Australian rock scene of the 1970s. The album reached number 14 on the national chart (Kent Music Report) and was certified double gold. The cover art was designed by renowned Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig.

Recorded at the legendary Armstrong Studios in Melbourne under producer Ern Rose, the album perfectly captures the spirit of a wild retro carnival. The band was led by the Conway brothers: Mick (Captain Matchbox, vocals, ukulele) and Jim (harmonica). While other Australian bands sang about the hardships of working-class suburbs, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band poked fun at the roadside culture of the Hume Highway. Their hit and title track, "Wangaratta Wahine," is a hilarious, psychedelic, yet tender love story about a waitress at a late-night roadside diner in the provincial town of Wangaratta, set to Hawaiian motifs. Besides original songs, the album is jam-packed with brilliant, theatrical covers of old jazz and blues standards.