Lori Balmer
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For other persons with the name Lori see Lori (disambiguation)
Lori Balmer (b.1958 - Victoria, Australia) is an Australian pop singer. She has put out a number of records, was a session singer and appeared on TV, both in Australia and Britain.
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[edit] Early life
She started singing professionally at the age of six. Her parents moved from Victoria to Sydney and she was signed by RCA Records at the age of seven. Her first single record (under the name of just Lori) was released in 1966. She was reputed to be Australian RCA's youngest recording star at that time. Through her family connection to the Gibb family of The Bee Gees she was offered two Barry Gibb songs to record "Who's Been Writing On The Wall Again " and "In Your World" which she recorded at EMI's Sydney Studio and became her third single at the ripe old age of eight. All three Gibb brothers provided vocal backing on it and Barry Gibb was involved in the production.
[edit] In the UK
In January 1968, following an invitation from Barry Gibb, she travelled to England with her parents. They stayed with the Gibb family and she began to work on children's TV shows & radio, such as BBC Club, regularly. The British press dubbed her the"bush baby" and would occasionally appear on the same shows alongside the Bee Gees.. At this time too she soon found herself in the recording studio putting down two new Bee Gee's composed songs "Treacle Brown" and Four Faces West". All backing and production was provided by the Bee Gees (including then members Vince Melouney and Colin Peterson), with Bill Shepherd doing the arrangements. This was duly released on a single on Polydor, however legal problems prevented her from going any further with it. By accounts it seems this record demonstrated a voice more powerful than could be expected from an eleven year old. Following this she returned to Australia with her parents.
[edit] Later career
She toured or recorded, under pseudonyms (as she puts it in the book Tales of The Brothers Gibb), with many artists such as Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Bryan Ferry, U2, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, Lionel Richie, Van Halen & Johnny Rotten. In the mid/late 1970s, at a less tender age, she released a number of single records in Australia. She eventually married John Vallins (ex-member of bands, Steve & The Board and Tin Tin) and formed a duo with him, Short Notice. She sang the title song of the Australian movie, Melvin, Son of Alvin in 1984. In 1987 she sang backup vocals on the musical soundtrack of the Australian movie "Sons of Steel" and, in 1995, the movie "Billy's Holiday" (the latter under the name Lori Vallins). More recently she has been involved in the production of the Animalsoztralia CD and the singing group Ozkids.
[edit] Discography
[edit] 45 rpm singles
Lori
- Banjo Boy/The Dickey Bird Song - RCA - 1966
- Pink Shoe Laces/Side by Side - RCA - 1966
- Poor Little Black Sheep/ If I Knew You'd been coming (I'd a baked a Cake)- RCA - 1966
Lori with The Charades
- Who's Been Writing On The Wall/In Your World - RCA - 1967
Lori with The Marksmen
- Wear A Yellow Raincoat/Silly Silly Blunder - RCA -1967
Lori Balmer
- Treacle Brown/Four Faces West - Polydor (UK) - 1968
- Here Before The Sun/You're The Only Reason - Pye (UK) - 1972
- Itchy Itch Coo Coo/Sing a Happy Song - Festival - 1974
- Don't Throw It All Away/Shoes - Festival - 1976
- Postcard From Spain/Here's Some Love - Festival - 1976
- Are You Ready For Love/Love Ain't Easy - Festival - 1978
Lori Balmer & Short Notice
- La Booga Booga/Call On Me - RCA - 1979
[edit] Compilations
33rpm album
- 25 Rare Recycled RCA Rock Relics - Who's Been Writing On The Wall- (RCA) - 1979
CD's
- Melvin, Son of Alvin(soundtrack)- Melvin, Son of Alvin -1984
- It's So Fine - Here Before The Sun - (UK) - 2005
- The Arrest from Tales of Witchcraft - John Loughman - 2006-11-22 [1]
[edit] References
- The Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibbs - by Melinda Bilyeu, Hector Cook, Andrew Mon Hughes - Omnibus Press - 2001 - ISBN 1 84449 57 2
- An Australian Rock Discography 1960-1989 - Chris Spencer - Moonlight Publishers - 1990 - ISBN 0 7316 8343 9
