RECOLLECTIONS OF WALLY

Since this article, I have received emails, photos, comments and recollections of this period and was able to reunite with old friends and acquaintances, including Errol and Phil Wood, Diane Willard, Danny Groves, Sue Toohey, Terry Darmody, Neil Smith, Alan Johnson, Peter Nehill, Larry Knight, Red McKelvie, Peter Gatehouse, Allannah, Dave Miller, Judy Miller, Jacquie McGarry, Peter 'Izzy Forreal' Knox .....

290 South Dowling Street, Darlinghurst

A pub jam in Surry Hills in 1979 is the last memory I have of Wally.  Wheezin' Walter 'T' Mudd will be remembered for his contribution to the Sydney Underground music scene during the late 60s, best summed up in Red's tribute song RED McKELVIE "Wally's Song"

In Search of the Starving Wild Dogs

'Wally, held Taylor Square to ransom for 5 years' says Terry Wilkins'

Wally, hat perched on a mop of curly hair, first caught my eye at Rhubarbs, (a cavern-like venue in Douglass Lane, off Liverpool Street. He was backed by a wild looking bunch, calling themselves the Starving Wild (Wyld) Dogs.Wally's quirky movements and staccato singing, the wail coming from his harp and the passionate rawness of the blues sound emanating from these young lads was beyond compare . . I just had to meet them! I implored my mate, Mort  to introduce me. He agreed, and the following Saturday afternoon we caught the bus from Miller Street, North Sydney, hopped off at Wynyard and took the 318 to Bondi Junction. I loved Mort's company, his childlike passion made every encounter take on a magical quality, he was a born actor and the world was his stage. 

42 Denison Street

A short walk and we entered  a huge terrace  . The sun. which streamed through the hallway, illuminated the house in a manner peculiar to terraces. Wally was sitting at the base of the stairway engrossed in a conversation with Allannah. A loaf of Vogel bread owned the kitchen table, accompanied by a bread knife which laid expectantly beside it.

Warwick Wyld, aka Wheezing Walter T Mudd and I formed a friendship which endured throughout the Taylor Square scene and beyond, we shared a love of old folkblues and spent many a night singing and strumming our guitars. I was enamoured with the personae that was, 'Wally Mudd'. Hw was not one to talk at any length about himself. However,  one could always catch him blowing his harp with any band around the traps.

290 South Dowling Street

Who lived there  and who was transient? Steve James, Terry Wilkins, Stuart West, Paul Wyld, Jim Crowley, Larry Knight, Sonya Kereopa, Sue Challis and Allannah were the regular tenants.

"One Dollar, Two Dollar" written by Wally

'hi Lynne um I went to Australia 13 Aug 1967 haha I'm pretty sure I didn't actually MEET Wally until the I showed up at the Oxford Hotel on a Thursday night to play with the SWD's maybe 2 weeks before that Shane Duckham let me and Bob? and a NZ drummer Warwick Lee play a set in one of their breaks at the Oxford. Bob ? ( lived with his mum in Jersey Rd Woollahra) great guy must have arranged it. Terry Wilkins was playing gtr with Shane Duckham abt a week later Terry showed up to a party at our flat in Liverpool St and we jammed a bit on acoustic gtrs then the following week he came by and asked me would I play with the SWD's at the Oxford that week 'cos their gtr player had gone to Melbourne and couldn't get back to do the gig so yeah I went there and met Wally and Darryl McKenzie haha and away we went they asked me to stay on and I guess that wuz the break I'd been waiting for ! so I guess the short answer is I met Wally at the Oxford abt late Jan 1968

I only saw Waldo that one time and from the audience he did have straight fair hair and played geetar as I remember I had a chat with Lan last ngt in the course of the conversation I remembered that I had seen SWD's play at the Oxford before I joined them Paul was playing an upright piano at the windows end and his girl friend was sitting on the piano watching him play Rod was the bass-player the drummer was a guy called 'Hutch' in the photo you have of Rod I can see by the shape of the windows 'curved' at the top that is upstairs at the 'Oxford Hotel' this would've been late 1967 but I didn't know anyone yet. the geetar player I filled in for haha 4 abt 8 months wuz 'Chinese Chris' and when i went to the UK he got his gig back and that's him in photo of 'Matchbox' EX S W Dogs taken at the Kings X Bar BQ and you're in the photo all good stuff I met Waldo only one time I went to the 'Ball Pants' in the Cross and he wuz playing that ngt the name Rob Jamieson doesn't ring any bells I'm sorry Peter Knox told me once that he gigged with Waldo at the "Ball Pants' great to hear from ya cheers .. Red McKelvie'

'I think I first met Wally through Terry Wilkins - we were at the Oxford I  one Sat afternoon with the Sons playing - my memory is pretty shot. Terry would do his usual 'table hopping' chatting to everyone including musos. We really loved the music scene in the 60s at Taylor Square. Wally and I were always good friends. I wonder whatever happened to Wally's girlfriend Trisha who went to Hong Kong c1966/7?  Allannah Wooloughan '