Zodiac Heritage Series

Nearly 2000 tracks from the archives of Stebbing’s are readily available on Spotify, in themed compilations. Digitised by Stebbing’s engineer Steve McGough, these include many rare tracks from the Stebbing, Zodiac and Key labels, featuring artists as diverse as Esme Stephens, Julian Lee, Mavis Rivers, and Johnny Granger from the 1950s, to recordings by Murray Grindlay, Hello Sailor, and Th’ Dudes in the 1970s. There are many unreleased tracks on the compilations, which are a musical treasure trove to explore.

Below are links to the Spotify compilations of the Zodiac and Key years; earlier collections from Stebbing are embedded at The Zodiac-Stebbing Archive Series page. Also on Spotify are complete albums by Key acts such as Th’ Dudes, Hello Sailor and the Inbetweens.

Then Rock 'N Roll Hit New Zealand

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 1: Then Rock 'N Roll Hit New Zealand. Includes Herma Keil and the Keil Isles, Eddie Howell, the Bob Paris Combo, Red Hewitt, the Ray Woolf, Morgan Clarke, and Bill Sevesi.

Polite Company

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 2: Polite Company. Includes the Kini Quartet, Bill & Boyd, Anne and Jimmy Murphy, Ray Woolf, Lou & Simon, and Eddie Howell.

Kick Up Your Heels

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 3: Kick Up Your Heels. Includes Rim D Paul, Jimmy Sloggett, Bob Paris, Fia Chaplin, Max Merritt & the Meteors, Eddie Howell.

Raving at the Galaxie

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 4: Raving At the Galaxie. While not live recordings, this is a knock-out compilation of bands that played at the Galaxie, among them the La De Da’s, the PleaZers, the Action! and the Underdogs (whose unreleased ‘I'm a Crosscut Saw’ is terrific).

Takin' It Easy at the Galaxie

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 5: Takin' It Easy at the Galaxie. More studio recordings from regulars at the Galaxie, including the La De Da’s, the PleaZers, the Action! and the Underdogs.

Gentle Songs for Gentle People

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 6: Gentle Songs for Gentle People. Middle-of-the-road recordings by acts such as Rim D Paul, Esme Stephens, Claude Papesch, Nancy Harrie, and Peter Posa.

Best of Toni Williams

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 7: Best of Toni Williams. A broad selection of tracks, including ‘Moon River’, Dylan’s ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight’, and Williams’s 1975 hit written and produced by Peter Posa, ‘Rose Can I Share a Bed With You’.

Maori Melodies

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 8: Māori Melodies. Includes the Howard Morrison Quartet, the Apaapa Sisters, the Kini Quartet, Ken Eru and His Geysertones, Kahu Morrison, and Lou & Simon.

Dragstrip

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 9: Drag Strip. Great rock’n’roll from Freddie Keil, Jimmy Sloggett, the Bob Paris Combo, Max Merritt & the Meteors, Red Hewitt & the Buccaneers, and the Keil Isles.

For the Glamour

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 10: For the Glamour. Lush pop from Rim D Paul, Tommy Adderley, Fia Chaplin, the André Lavalle Trio, Bill & Boyd, and Lou & Simon.

Twang!

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 11: Twang! Hits from the heyday of guitar instrumentals, with Peter Posa, Graeme Bartlett, Maurie Chan, Gary Bayer, Ben Tawhiti, and the Mystics.

A Decent Life

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 12: A Decent Life. Family friendly tracks by acts such as the Apaapa Sisters, Ray Woolf, Silvio De Pra, Owen Griffiths, Ray Woolf, and the Syncrotones.

Psychedelic Summer

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 13: Psychedelic Summer. Take a day trip with Shane, Gene Pierson, the Hi-Revving Tongues, the Surfires, the Dallas Four, Troubled Mind, the Gremlins, and Sandy Edmonds.

Rusty Greaves Sings

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 14: Rusty Greaves Sings. Early 60s country and western, with tracks such as ‘The Auctioneer’, ‘Mule Skinner Blues, ‘Hilly Billy Ding Dong Choo Choo’ and ‘She Taught Me to Yodel’.

Novelty Numbers

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 15: Novelty Numbers. Musical mirth in the gramophone era: ‘Down the Hall on Saturday Night’ by the Human Instinct, ‘The Kiwi Train’ by Rod Derrett, ‘I Love Onions’ by Sandy Edmonds, and ‘Daddy Sang Bass’ by Vision.

Rave Up

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 16: Rave Up. Cut a rug with the Four Fours, Sandy Edmonds, the Rayders, the Gremlins, the Merseymen, the Mods, the New Sounds, and the Sierras.

Love Is All I Need

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 17: Love Is All I Need. Rockin’ romance from 60s acts such as Allison Durbin, Tommy Adderley, Sandy Edmonds, Freddie Keil, and Dave Miller with the Byrds.

Super Good Feeling

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 18: Super Good Feeling. Pop from the Yandall Sisters, the Face (with Mark Williams), Karma, the Arch, Gene Pierson, and TV newsman Tom Bradley.

Tough Enough

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 19: Tough Enough. Beat groups such as the Four Fours, the Sounds, Dave Miller and the Byrds, and the Soul Agents.

Sixties Party

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 20: Sixties Party. Rock’n’roll for a 60s teenage dance party: the Merseymen, the Freddie Keil Five, Bill & Boyd, and Ray Columbus and the Invaders’ ‘Long Tall Sally’.

Untold Stories

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 21: Untold Stories. Early 70s light rock from Fresh Air, Littlejohn, Murray Grindlay, the Tongues, and Hot Ash.

Once Upon A Time

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 22: Once Upon A Time. 1960s’ pick’n’mix from Sandy Edmonds, Tommy Adderley, Allison Durbin, Jimmy Sloggett, Yolande Gibson, and Max Cryer and the Children.

Kids

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 23: Kids. A time machine to simpler days of the 1950s, with the Alderton Family, Athol Coates, Bill Langford – and 1ZB’s Merv Smith with ‘The Fell Engine’.

Ku-Pow

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 24: Ku-Pow. Twanging guitar instrumentals collection, with Ray Columbus and the Invaders, Peter Posa, Gary Bayer, Graeme Bartlett

Songs In The Life of Key

Zodiac Heritage Series,Volume 25: Songs in the Life of Key. Stebbing’s Jervois Road studio in its 70s heyday: Th’ Dudes, Headband, the Totals, Hello Sailor, Jacqui Fitzgerald, and Golden Harvest. Plus, a curiosity: Southern soul licensed from visiting US singer Kim Tolliver.

Beyond the Fields

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 26: Beyond the Fields. Smooth easy-listening pop and country music from the late 60s and early 70s. Among its standouts are tracks from Toni Williams's 1969 LP Country Tracks, which features his velvet vibrato on hits songs of the period such as 'Little Green Apples' and 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix'. There are four rare Patsy Riggir songs, and several by the telegenic Yolande Gibson.

Choral and Brass

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 27: Choral and Brass. To rock’n’roll ears, what New Zealand listened to when it was closed on Sundays. But recording Auckland choirs and brass bands was an important part of Stebbing’s business, and a community service.

Souvenirs

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 28: Souvenirs. Rarities from the 1960s, with the Keil Isles, the Kavaliers, Bob Paris, and others. Of special note, Rim D Paul’s ‘Theme from Inspector’, Bob Paris on vibes in ‘Rock for Lionel’, and a lovely rendition of ‘King Tawhiao’ by Danny Robinson with Ben Tawhiti and His Islanders.

Secret Love

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 29: Secret Love. Tommy Adderley’s mirror-image rendition of ‘It’s Not Unusual’ kicks off a collection strong on cover versions (Jimmie Sloggett’s Midnight Cowboy theme, Gray Bartlett’s ‘Thunderball’, the Raydars’ ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’)

Lipstick Power

Zodiac Heritage Series, Volume 30: Lipstick Power. Highlights the first solo recordings from Dave Dobbyn, after hours in Stebbing’s with producers Rob Aickin and Ian Morris. A celebration of Rob Aickin's later productions, Lipstick Power also features Broken Dolls (‘Joie de Vivre’), rock’n’roll revivalists The Teddy Boys, and vocal group Southern Transit.

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