| Sonola | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 June 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 14–15 January 1984, A.A.V. Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 26:19 | |||
| Label | Spirit Records | |||
| Producer | Johnny Coal, Joey Vincent, Joe Camilleri | |||
| The Black Sorrows chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sonola | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 2002 re-release cover | ||||
Sonola is the debut studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was released in June 1984 and consisted of cover versions of soul and R&B songs.
In 1983, following the disbanding of Jo Jo Zep, Joe Camilleri gathered together a group of musician friends and dubbed them The Black Sorrows. The band began playing mostly covers of R&B, zydeco, soul and blues music 'for the fun of it'. [1] [2]
Camilleri says; "I remember playing birthday parties and weddings, just so I could get enough money to make a record. We made Sonola for $1300. I just wanted to have some sort of documentation that we existed. We did the artwork and screen-printed the covers. We’d put the covers on the line, one side only, waiting for them to dry, so we could do the other side. They’re the things you cherish, waiting for the record to be pressed and then having a lounge-room full of records and freaking out because you want to get rid of them." [3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brown Eyed Girl" | 3:28 | |
| 2. | "Have Mercy" | 3:06 | |
| 3. | "What a Difference a Day Makes" | 3:23 | |
| 4. | "Don't Look Back" | 3:12 | |
| 5. | "Promised Land" | 2:33 | |
| 6. | "You Better Move On" | 3:24 | |
| 7. | "Before I Grow Too Old" | 2:54 | |
| 8. | "Young Boy Blues" | 3:36 | |
| 9. | "Blow Joe Blow" | traditional | 2:00 |
| Total length: | 26:19 | ||
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report [4] | 50 |
Joseph Vincent Camilleri, aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is a Maltese Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows. Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons' highest-charting single was "Hit & Run" from June 1979, which peaked at #12; Jo Jo Zep's "Taxi Mary" peaked at No. 11 in September 1982; and The Black Sorrows top single, "Chained to the Wheel", peaked at No. 9 in March 1989.
Vika and Linda, also known as Vika and Linda Bull, are an Australian vocal duo consisting of Vika Susan Bull and her younger sister, Linda Rose Bull. They came to prominence after singing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The Black Sorrows from 1988. They left that group early in 1994 to start their duo with a self-titled album appearing in June that year. The duo scored their first number 1 album in 2020, with their retrospective 'Akilotoa: Anthology (1994-2006).
The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues rock band formed in 1983 by mainstay vocalist Joe Camilleri, who also plays saxophone and guitar. Camilleri has used various line-ups to record 17 albums, with five reaching the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Charts: Hold on to Me, Harley and Rose, Better Times, The Chosen Ones - Greatest Hits and Lucky Charm. Their top 40 singles are "Chained to the Wheel", "Harley + Rose" and "Snake Skin Shoes".
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons are an Australian blues and rock music band that features the singer, songwriter and saxophonist Joe Camilleri. The band was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and had several Australian chart hits including "Hit and Run", "Shape I'm In" and "All I Wanna Do". The Falcons dissolved in 1981 and the group's biggest Australian hit, 1982's "Taxi Mary", as well as the New Zealand top ten hit "Walk on By", were both credited simply to "Jo Jo Zep". In 1983, Camilleri and other members of the Falcons formed the Black Sorrows.
"My Baby" is a 1980 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel, the third released from the album East and the first of the band's singles not to be written by pianist Don Walker. This was the only track credited solely to bass player Phil Small on any of the band's albums apart from "Notion For You" on the 1994 rarities album Teenage Love.
Hold On to Me is the fifth studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. It's the group's first album to feature the vocals of Vika and Linda Bull.
"Last One Standing for You" is a collaborative song by ARIA Award-winning Australian musicians, The Black Sorrows and Jon Stevens. It was released as the second single from the Sorrows' eighth studio album, Lucky Charm. It peaked at number 46 in Australia.
Rockin' Zydeco is the second studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was released in March 1985 and consisted of most cover versions of soul and R&B songs.
A Place in the World is the third studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was released in November 1985. All tracks were written by band members Joe Camilleri and Nick Smith, except "Let the Four Winds Blow".
Dear Children is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. It was the band's first album released through CBS Records in April 1987. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, Dear Children "represented a turning point in the band's career". The album peaked at number 22 on the Kent Music Report in June 1987.
Harley and Rose is the sixth studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was released in September 1990 and peaked at number three on the ARIA Charts, becoming the band's first top five album. The album remained in the top 50 for 51 weeks.
Lucky Charm is the eighth studio album by Australian rock act The Black Sorrows. Previously a band with a set line-up, for this album lead singer Joe Camilleri was the only constant from track to track, as he worked with 42 other musicians on the album.
Certified Blue is the fourteenth studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was released in April 2014.
The Revelators is an Australian blues rock band formed in 1989 by Joe Camilleri, James Black, Joe Creighton and Peter Luscome. Jeff Burstin joined in 1990. In Camilleri's own words, their desire was to "blow out the serious days' work with people who shared the same interest in music and who simply wanted to play it".
Faithful Satellite is the seventeenth studio album by Australian blues rock band, The Black Sorrows. The album was initially released on CD and digital download on September 16, 2016; followed by a limited-edition double vinyl followed on September 30, 2016. The vinyl included eight tracks exclusively.
4 Days in Sing Sing is the twelfth studio album by Australian rock band The Black Sorrows. The album was recorded in four days in Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, where the Black Sorrows recorded their albums Hold On to Me and Harley & Rose and released as a CD/DVD package in September 2009.
Amazing Stories is the debut studio album by Australian blues-rock band The Revelators. The album was released in 1991 and consisted of cover versions of soul and blues songs. The album was re-released in March 1993 as a 2CD pack with The Black Sorrows' Better Times and peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Chart. The album was re-released in 2002 with two additional tracks from the original sessions that were not included on the first pressing, Those being "Honest I Do" and "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down"
Endless Sleep Chapter 46 is the fifteenth studio album Australian blues rock band, The Black Sorrows. The album was the first of two simultaneously-released limited edition vinyl in Australia in April 2015. It was later released as a digital download and compact disc in Europe.
Endless Sleep Chapter 47 is the sixteenth studio album Australian blues rock band, The Black Sorrows. The album was the second of two simultaneously-released limited edition vinyl in Australia in April 2015. It was later released on digital download and compact disc in Europe.
Cha is the seventh studio album by Australian band Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, but first and only to be credited as Jo Jo Zep. It is also the final studio album by the band until Ricochet in 2003. The album was Released in November 1982 and peaked at number 28 on the Australian Kent Music Report. David Nichols called Cha primarily a "latin-based dance record".
