History Alongside Colleen Hewett and Renée Geyer, singer Linda George (b. 1951) was one of the most popular solo performers on the early 1970s pop scene. The English-born singer migrated to Australia with her family in 1964. She joined her first band, The Nova Express, in 1969. The Nova Express was a jazz-rock styled big band (similar to Heart 'n' Soul and Kush). During the period George was with the band, The Nova Express comprised Ken White (guitar), Peter Walsh (organ), Wayne Lanham (bass), Craig Forbes (drums), Dave Clark (sax), Ken Schroder (sax) and Ian Hellings (trumpet). The band won the Victorian final of the Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds and issued one single on EMI/Columbia, a cover of `Take Another Little Piece of My Heart'/`Around the Block' in 1970 before George left to go solo.
George toured with The Marlboro Big Band, The Barry Veith Big Band, The ABC Showband and Opus Big Band before turning to session work. She signed a solo deal with the Image label in 1972 and developed a soul-pop style. Image issued her debut single, `Let's Fly Away'/`Song to Save the World', in May. Her first chart hits were covers of Gladys Knight and The Pips' `Neither One of Us'/`If It's Alright with You' (national #16, July 1973) and Ruby and the Romantics' `Our Day will Come'/`Yesterday and You' (#36, January 1974). During March 1973, George also appeared as the Gypsy Queen in the local stage production of The Who's rock opera Tommy. Other cast members included Billy Thorpe, Daryl Braithwaite, Colleen Hewett, Broderick Smith, Doug Parkinson, Jim Keays and Keith Moon.
In 1974, Image issued the album Miss Linda George, plus the singles `Mama's Little Girl'/`Between Her Goodbye and My Hello' (#9 in August) and `Give It Love'/`Yesterday and You' (December). Step by Step produced the singles `Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Dah Day'/`I Wanna Hear Music' (September 1975) and `Step by Step'/`Wake Up' (May 1976). George's last single for Image was `Sitting in Limbo'/`Hard to Be Friends' (November 1976). From the late 1970s onwards, she concentrated on session work. She recorded three singles during the early 1980s for Mike Brady's Full Moon label, `Love is Enough'/`You are Mine Tonight' (with Paul McKay, April 1980), `Telephone Lines'/`Physical Things' (June 1981) and `Face to Face'/`Up Until Now' (August 1982).
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